ABBOTT, Ronald. Passed March 2021

Ronald was at the school from 1958-1965 and will be sadly missed by his friends and family.

We are conscious that many people from this time at school may not be in contact with us and we would be very grateful if you could pass on this information to those that you know.

As is the usual practice, we would like to place an obituary for him in the next OI Journal and would be very grateful if anyone felt they could come forward to write one. Alternatively, if you know of any stories or memories, please pass them on so we could put them together for the publication. Address any contributions to me through oldipswichians@ipswich.school or in the comments below.

With best wishes

Iain Chesterman
OI Chairman

----

John Jewhurst (OI 1959-65) writes:

Abbott was one of my close school buddies, especially as we spent quite some time competing at cross country running. 

In my school last year, I was very determined to win the steeplechase and trained 5+kms twice a day. It was very cold around the time of the event and I was leading about a couple of hundred meters from the end, but when crossing over a small frozen Tuddenham stream and I slipped badly on the ice, which OI reported as water jumps!!! Then two others ran past me and Scammell, in the middle, won, Abbott on right second. I was extremely irritated coming 3rd after training so much. The attached photo was from the EA Daily Times & I seem to remember the photo text as: "3 tired boys". Unfortunately, I cannot find that newspaper article now.

Extract from 1966 Old Ipswichian Report for 9th February 1965 Steeplechase

The Seniors started at a slower pace (perhaps through experience) and made their way over a now even muddier course. This time nobody led from the start, and the lead changed hands several times. In the end it was Scammell who came home first. R. M. Abbott came a close second and J. Jewhurst third. (It seems to have been a good day for the Jewhurst's). The rest of the field followed and queued up to be placed, breathing hard and showing the effects of their exertions. Their wet and mud-bespattered clothes bore testimony to the water jumps they had passed through.

The above text refers to Jewhurst's doing well & that was because my younger brother Steve won the Junior event.

----

Michael Warner (OI 1953-65) Rigaud writes:

So sorry to hear about the passing of Ron Abbott, of our year at School; my own abiding main photo memory of Ron is of him in his sports whites running at great pace in athletic events and particularly the Fynn Valley Annual mud splash race - and always doing well. Otherwise, Ron was always pleasant, and ready to have a bit of banter or a chat with.

According to my rather sparse and now somewhat dog-eared records gleaned mostly from around the lead up to our 50th Re Union Lunch, Ron was in Broke House, and studied Physics, Mathematics, and Geography at A level; birthday 11.46; tutor Briden.

Ron was very helpful (and patient with me), when I was struggling with Geography A level, adiabatic winds, occluded fronts, all those kind of things; realism dawned, and I gave it up after the first year! I believe that Ron came in from Holbrook every day, with a couple of others of that time (Austin & Davies?) and was one of those assisted by East Suffolk or SCC; those days are now over, but wonderfully, the School has now developed its own 'bursary' scheme, which allows talent to be nurtured when it might not otherwise be possible.

Hope that I have stirred a few memories.

----

Ian Sumnall (OI 1959-66) writes:

It must have been in the winter term of 1960 when Ron and I were playing for Broke in a junior house match on the Top Field. We weren't the best of teams but near the end we managed to score a try and a conversion would see us win by a single point. Ron was our goal kicker and from what seemed like a very wide angle and outside the 25, he duly kicked it to win the game. More than 60 years on it is a lovely image and memory of Ron which will always be with me.

Sincere condolences to Ron's family.