Obituaries - Details of members who have "Crossed the Bar"*

MEMBERS WHO HAVE CROSSED THE BAR - since 2017
[contact Association for older records]

23 November 2024 Patricia 'Pat' Ann Brown aged 81. Honorary Association Member and former Regional Councillor of Ajax.
11 November 2024 Doreen Fowler aged 89. Widow of Patrick Fowler Ajax 1940-42
6 November 2024 Dennis Talbot aged 93. HMS Ajax Cruiser 1948.
7 Oct 2024 Paul 'Yorkie' Littlewood aged 66. HMS Ajax Aug 1976 to Jul 1976. He lived in Calgary, Canada
29 September 2024 George Alan 'Phil' Phillips aged 78. Member & Association Committee member. HMS Ajax 1965-66.
21 June 2024 Michael 'Mike' Screech aged 77. RN and former Association member.
9 March 2024 Janet Masters aged 68. Member & wife of Association Chairman Nigel Masters.
9 September 2023 Ann Marshall aged 92. Member & wife of veteran Bill Marshall who crossed the bar in 2014.
4 May 2023 June Turner. Member & wife of veteran Roy Turner who crossed the bar in 2017.
25 February 2023 Anne Turner. Member & wife of veteran Mike Turner who crossed the bar in 2019.
2 January 2023 Anne Adams aged 89. Member & daughter-in-law of HMS Ajax Designer "Ajax" Adams.
4 August 2022 David Johns aged 81. HMS Ajax Frigate 1963-65 RO2(T)
16 August 2021 Donald William Birrell aged 95. HMS Ajax 1946-47.
7 October 2021 John Richard Thomson aged 98. HMS Achilles River Plate
3 August 2021 Jean Garrard aged 97. Member and widow of HMS Ajax River Plate veteran John Garrard who crossed the bar in 2017
29 July 2021 Fred Coates aged 82. HMS Ajax frigate; master-at-arms at time of Ontario visit 1976
12 July 2021 Basil Trott aged 101. HMS Exeter River Plate
30 June 2021 Peter Buckingham aged 93. HMS Ajax 1946.
5 June 2021 William Parker RM aged 99. Royal Marine HMS Ajax 1945
9 May 2021 Doug Harris aged 87. Associate Member
19 February 2021 Stephen Harwood aged 89. Associate; Captain RN & Son of Commodore Harwood
9 February 2021 Richard Llewellyn aged 95. HMS Ajax 1943-44
26 January 2021 Thomas James (Ian) Wright aged 92. HMS Ajax 1944-47
19 July 2020 Rosemarie Quaintance. Life Member
2 May 2020 Robert 'Bob' BATT age 97. HMS Achilles River Plate
18 April 2020 Albert Edwin SMITH aged 98. HMS Ajax River Plate
18 April 2020 Richard GREEN aged 97. HMS Ajax 1945
5 April 2020 Alec James TOWNSIN aged 91. HMS Ajax 1946-48
31 December 2019 Professor Raymond "Jerry" KIRK aged 97. HMS Ajax 1942-43
25 August 2019 Stanley James 'Jim' LONDON aged 99. HMS Exeter River Plate
21 August 2019 Judith Collis aged 63. Member & wife of Malcolm Collis.
26 June 2019 Michael TURNER aged 93. HMS Ajax 1946-47
4 May 2019 Robert 'Bob' GEE aged 94. HMS Ajax 1946
15 February 2019 William 'Bill' Prophet SMAIL aged 93. HMS Ajax 1943-44
26 December 2018 Frank BURTON aged 100. HMS Ajax River Plate
21 November 2018 Reg GILBERT aged 93. HMS Ajax 1943-45
9 January 2018 Derrick HOWITT aged 72. HMS Ajax Frigate 1963-65
17 November 2017 Roy BLOWERS aged 92. HMS Ajax Royal Marine 1942-43
2 November 2017 Roland TASSELL aged 68. HMS Ajax Frigate 1966-68
13 July 2017 Albert Edward 'Ted' WICKS aged 97. HMS Ajax River Plate
20 April 2017 John Garrard aged 95. HMS Ajax River Plate
27 March 2017 Roy 'Topsy' TURNER aged 89. HMS Ajax 1946-47
7 February 2017 Leonard PORTE aged 88. HMS Ajax 1946-48
3 January 2017 Henry HARWOOD aged 90. Associate; Commander RN & son of Admiral Harwood
*The term "Cross the Bar", to die, is said to have been taken from the 1889 poem by ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON and compares death with crossing the "sandbar" between the river of life, with its outgoing flood, and the ocean that lies beyond, death, the boundless deep, to which we return.

CROSSING THE BAR
Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;

For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar.