Francis
Collisson
26th
October 2004
I
first met Francis in 1972 in a minibus as we travelled to the
Kodak Sports Club. Although we both worked at the Kodak company,
we were in different departments. We got chatting and I immediately
found him to be a courteous and caring person who was very interested
in how I was playing chess. At the time he was a far superior
player and helped me a lot at the local chess club; and he would
always give me a lift home afterwards. It was then that I realised
his great sense of loyalty.
Sadly
the club broke up after two years, and we did not meet again until
1990 at the local blind club by which time Francis’ sight
was failing. He was a prime mover in the club, so helpful and
encouraging to others. He would make the tea (of varying quality)
and always showed that degree of consideration for others that
we in the B.C.A. later got to know.
Later
we joined the Chesham Bowls Club, where again Francis soon got
on with everybody. He was soon on the club committee, became team
captain and chairman of the club. He took the team to many tournaments
which were held over a wide area of East Anglia and the south.
He would always insist that at the end of a tournament all the
members of the club should remain behind to witness the prize
giving. He would not leave until the ceremony and the speeches
were over.
Francis
had served in the Royal Marines during the war, and in each succeeding
year he would regularly attend a cenotaph for the Armistice Day
ceremony wherever he happened to be, to remember absent friends
and to reminisce with old colleagues. Here again his great sense
of loyalty revealed itself, and some of this has rubbed off onto
me.
By
this time we had joined the B.C.A.. I always recall our trip to Dublin
in 2000. Mick Murphy had to go into hospital, and it was Francis
who visited him to give support and companionship. Such was his
caring nature.
Francis
was a good conversationalist, having a ready sense of humour and
a fund of jokes. While he was concerned about matters in life
he was not a worrier. Many people in the B.C.A. would look forward
to having a good chat with him, for he just knew how to put you
at ease. The B.C.A. has indeed lost a great character who will be
remembered and sadly missed.
Richard
Harrington
February 2005