Page 67 - Old Ratcliffian Magazine 2019

a number of years, he then had a change of career, becoming a When Andrew and Trisha moved to Melton, they became involved
bursar, firstly at St Francis’ College in Letchworth, and then at in the life of St Mary’s Church, and they were told that there were
Ratcliffe College near Leicester, which prompted a move to Melton plans for a re-ordering project for the beautiful Grade I listed
Mowbray in July 2001. After having a number of consultancy jobs, building. There were subsequent revised versions of this until
Andrew joined the Leicester Diocese as Director of Parish Funding the church closed in 2017 for re-ordering work to take place.
and Fundraising. He became the project manager for two building Alongside a team, Andrew was instrumental in seeing the work OBITUARIES
conversions in the centre of Leicester: St Martins Lodge and the completed on time and to budget. As part of the congregation, he
Community of the Tree of Life House. He and his wife, Trisha, also served on the Christmas Tree Festival Committee for 16 years,
became Companions of the Tree of Life project in Leicester. was a deputy churchwarden, a trustee of the CIO (Charitable
Incorporated Organisation) which was set up to oversee the recent
Andrew had a lifetime love of Scouting, leading camps at an early
age, mostly in Scotland, where he had hoped to retire to in the re-ordering project at St Mary’s, a member of the Fabric Express
future. He was also heavily involved with Great Ormond Street group and the church Men’s Group, as well as being a church
Hospital Scouts. He met Trisha at a camp for Scouts with special reader and intercessor.
needs and, unbeknown to the couple, the two Scout leaders, Kim Andrew’s biggest love was his family – his wife, Trisha, his sons,
and Mike, spent the whole camp trying to bring them together. Toby (08) and Matt (14), and his daughter, Hannah (10). He was
It obviously worked, because, on 5th November 1988, they were a much-loved and respected member of the congregation at St
married in Uckfield, East Sussex. The couple stayed in touch with Mary’s Church, Melton Mowbray, and he will be greatly missed.
the camp, and their son, Toby, who first went along when he was Adapted from St Mary’s Church of England Parish Newsletter,
six months old, still goes on it every year.
with permission of Andrew’s daughter, Hannah Nutter (10)

PAUL HELM
17TH JUNE 1939 - 5TH SEPTEMBER 2018
OLD RATCLIFFIAN 1950 - 1957

Paul and I became friends at Ratcliffe in 1952. It was far more than
a superficial friendship, and eventually Paul had the ‘audacity’ to
marry my wife’s sister. What a blessing this turned out to be.
After his A Levels, Paul went to Derryswood, the Rosminian
seminary near Wonersh in Surrey, to test his vocation. We remained
in touch, and I visited him there; Paul was very much loved as part
of the community. However, fate soon interrupted our lives forever,
when Fr Ronnie Catcheside (26) gave me first refusal to travel to
Legnago, near Verona, to teach English to a young Law student.
Paul had given his all to deciding about his vocation. In 1963, after
completing teacher training at Hopwood Hall, followed by a period
of teaching at Ratcliffe College, he decided to leave the Rosminian
path to priesthood. I invited Paul to come to Italy with me as a
witness to my forthcoming marriage to Milena (Lazzari). After the
wedding, Paul stayed in Italy, managing to find work within a very
short time; he learnt Italian quickly, interpreted for the Americans,
and taught English privately. By this time, Paul and Annalisa a computer and a method called collagraphy, together with
(Lazzari) had decided to get married. For Milena and me, this was painting, drawing, and other techniques. One of his artistic goals
wonderful news. was to draw or paint more than 52 composers, and in the end, he

In November 1966, Paul joined the prestigious Mondadori managed to reach over 100. At Christmas, he cleverly put together
publishing company. As always, he worked hard and was very prints for various cards each year, with amusing faces and stories
successful, and in 1970, he became head of the Mondadori London of the family.
office. Incredibly, therefore, Paul and Annalisa came to buy a house We miss Paul enormously. He never lost his faith, and at his funeral,
near us in Wimbledon, where, as one family, we shared our lives alongside our local priest, Fr Ted, there were three Ratcliffian
– Paul with three (bilingual) children, and my family consisting of priests concelebrating: Fr Anthony Meredith (57), Fr David Tobin
four children.
(59), and Monsignor Anthony Wilcox (56).
In 1979, Paul changed his job, leaving Mondadori for Tompla, a Paul was dedicated to his family, and he loved them deeply; when
Spanish envelope manufacturing firm. Again, his entrepreneurial asked, he would say “they’re marvellous”. In his last illness of
skills helped him to become an integral part of the company’s many months, the children were, indeed, marvellous. Paul loved,
operations in England, but unfortunately, he felt the firm became and we loved him. He leaves a wife, Annalisa, three children, four
too large, and he opted for another change. grandchildren, and a younger brother in Canada, Michael. May he
Paul was always an artist. He attended a course in picture-framing, rest in peace.
and he and Annalisa opened a lovely shop in central Wimbledon. John Reynolds (57)
Appropriately, it was called Frames and Faces. Paul loved printing, Brother-in-Law
and he experimented with various methods. He worked using

The Old Ratcliffian 2019 67