Sorry to let you know but Rich sadly passed away in February 2021.
I’m not sure if you were aware but he had cancer which had returned. He was on chemotherapy but unfortunately caught Covid in hospital and couldn’t fight it.
I’m sorry I haven’t let you know before – I have kept his Facebook and emails open to try to get to everyone. He is remembered in the ‘Remember Me’ memorial at St Paul’s Cathedral in the new Portico if you are ever up there.
He also has a heart on the National Covid Memorial Wall. Most of his ashes are scattered at Dunrobin Castle in Golspie where he was born. I’m still hoping that the rest of them will get under the pitch at QPR at some point.
I’d be grateful if you would pass on the news to everyone at Quintin that knew him.
Best Regards
Viv Maclennan (April 2023)
Hi Viv,
I was sorry to hear that Richard had passed away. I was in Derek James’ form 4/5S with him between 1970-72.
We shared a tent together on the school trip to the Picos de Europa in Spain at Easter 1971. I had recently moved down from Scotland and was billeted with him as a fellow Scot. My parents had divorced and I was living in a single bedsit in West Hampstead, trying to make some sense of life. He was very kind and tolerant of me throughout the trip. From what I remember, he was not particularly interested in the physical or spiritual aspects of the trip but was utterly fixated on acquiring a pair of oxblood loafers at a good price from a source in Bilbao. This year, 2023, I walked the Camino del Norte from San Sebastian to Santiago de Compostella and visited the spot in Castro Urdiales where we camped our first night.
It brought back many memories.
Kind Regards
Bill (Neil) Buchanan
Hello Viv,
Please accept my deepest condolences. I was in the same class as Richard at Quintin for the first few years and we also played in the same rugby team. We would often go for a drink together and attended numerous concerts and events (Alice Cooper at Wembley being an early and not too successful attempt at bootlegging). I remember us queuing all night outside a music shop in Soho in the hope of picking up some discounted equipment; well, that didn’t work out as planned and we nearly ended up with hypothermia. I remember the first car he bought, a Rover (P5 I think) and his trip to Scotland in it – not to mention him complaining about how much the petrol cost (£30 or so).
We met at a reunion a few years ago as well as meeting up with another friend for a few drinks in a North London pub. It was with great pride he told us of his wedding in Scotland (I hope that was with you). We had hoped to meet up again, in Uxbridge or close by, but couldn’t quite get the diaries to agree. So many fond and happy memories – a fantastic pleasure knowing and spending time with him.
Best wishes,
Marino