Douglas Rickerby (FN 34-38)

Anthony Rickerby (F 60-64) has kindly supplied information to allow the following to be compiled:

Douglas Rickerby died on 22 January 2018 aged 97. He was educated at St Bees School, where he was a boarder on Foundation North from 1934 to 1938. As a talented rugby and cricket player, he represented the North of England Public Schools at both sports, and in 1938 also played rugby for Cumberland and Westmorland. Following his time at St Bees he went on to Brasenose College, Oxford to read Law.

At the outbreak of World War Two he joined the army and was commissioned into the Border Regiment in 1940 and subsequently posted to the 2nd Battalion in India early in 1941. For four years he served in the Far East; first in India, where he was awarded the Military Cross for displaying outstanding courage in the battle of Imphal in 1944; then in Ceylon and Burma, where he was twice mentioned in dispatches.

After the war Douglas joined the old established family firm of Rickerby Ltd and following the early death of his elder brother Joseph, he became its Managing Director and Chairman. In addition to his business activities, he was for nine years a member of the Special Area Committee which administered the hospitals in Cumberland under the aegis of the Regional Authority in Newcastle.

But his main interest was undoubtedly in St Bees School where he served as a governor for more than thirty years including ten as Chairman of the Executive Committee.

Golf was another sport in which he was actively involved, being a member of both the Carlisle and Silloth-on-Solway clubs for many years. Indeed he was a Trustee, a Vice-President, life member and former captain of Silloth as well as holding membership of the Royal and Ancient at St Andrews.

In 1945 he married Patricia Semple, who predeceased him. He leaves three sons, all of whom attended the school, Anthony (F 60-64), John (F 62-67) and Patrick (F 68-73), and nine grandchildren.

Please click here to see photographs.

 

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