It is with regret that I share the said news that Roy died on Saturday 27th April he was 91.
On behalf of Bancroft’s and the Old Bancroftian’ Association our sincere condolences to Roy’s family.
Roy’s funeral will be on Friday 31st May at 11.30 at St Augustine’s Church, Felixtowe Road, Ipswich IP3 8TH.
All are welcome
The family have asked if all condolences could be sent to Andrea Race at Farthing Funeral Service via andrea.race@funeralpartners.co.uk
Susan Day – Alumni and Foundation Office
An obituary from OB John Hasselgren
Nine former Rugby players from the then Old Bancroftians’ Football Club, all of whom had played alongside Roy, attended his funeral in St. Augustine’s Church, Ipswich. Here, we were vastly outnumbered in the packed church by Roy’s large numbers of family, friends and members of Ipswich Rugby Football Club.
Roy’s Rugby playing days can perhaps be summed up by the annual reports that the late Paul Kilmartin wrote in the Old Bancroftians’ section of the Bancroftian magazine:
In the wings the old maestro, R. Holloway, was either brilliant or dreadful, but certainly the most entertaining of the backs. From The Bancroftian June 1964
Roy Holloway, who still travels at least 80 miles for each game, has now played very nearly 100 1st XV games without a break, and has made a point of scoring more tries than all his younger, faster colleagues. From The Bancroftian February 1965
The two “elder statesmen” of the side. Roy Holloway and Dicky Kent, were the only players to avoid injuries and play in all matches, and as an added bonus Holloway played in the two tour matches as well. From The Bancroftian May 1967
But this doesn’t give the whole story. In one match against the Old Westcliffians, Roy was marked by a young 18 year old lad straight from School. On the wing, running down the touchline, Roy made a dummy pass. The young lad bought the dummy, ran off the pitch and almost tackled the touch judge. Roy went on to score and the Westcliffians’ captain was heard to cry out, “I told him not to look at his eyes”. Roy’s eyes weren’t very straight, although he did have then straightened later.
Playing at the Bank of England’s magnificent ground at Roehampton, Roy decided that the enormous shower room would make a great slide. Soaping his naked body, he sat on the tiled floor, put his feet against the end wall, pushed off and slid down the room. About his third go at this someone opened the door at the far end and Roy slid right into the toilets.
Easter Tour to the West Country, Roy was the kittymaster. With no match on the Sunday we all went our separate sightseeing ways, having arranged to meet at a pub in the evening. Three of us, Roy, I and someone whose name escapes me, arrived first. Roy, with the beer kitty, ordered something like 25 pints of beer. The barman questioned this order and, as the door opened and another of the tourists came in, Roy declared that he had forgotten him and the order should be 26 pints. Gradually people arrived and picked up their beer.
During the funeral we heard much of Roy’s life that we didn’t know. His Social Membership of Ipswich Rugby Football Club, where he served for two years as their President. His business acumen and ability to make money, which, with his love of Freemasonry, he generously used to support many good causes.
Back at Ipswich RFC for the wake, we met players who had been our opponents on the rugby pitch years before; the beer flowed and stories were told of a great character who was no longer with us. He will never be forgotten while those of us who attended the funeral are still alive.
