winburyoldboys.rory-nicholas

It was with great sadness that we heard of the death of Rory Nicholas, in Hong Kong on 16th December 2008. A Requiem Mass was held for him on 14th January 2009 at St Anne's Church, Stanley and was attended by many of his friends from the China Oxford Scholarship Fund, The Hong Kong Sea School, the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Hong Kong, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and from "his village", Stanley.

Rory played a big part in the setting up in 1992 of the Hong Kong Oxford Scholarship Fund, becoming one of the establishing Trustees. This subsequently became the China Oxford Scholarship Fund COSF. The other two Trustees were Peter Edwards and Sir David Akers-Jones, (BNC 1940), who particularly remembers his bubbling enthusiasm and his desire to do the right thing. Rory continued to play a role in the Fund, as a Trustee and firm supporter right up to his tragic early death, attending events both in Hong Kong and the Scholars' Summer Lunch at Hailey.

Rory was involved in the first interviews and selection and the first Scholar, Kin Y Tarn, now Dr Tarn, remembers the selection interview back in 1992 with Rory and Sir David, and says how grateful he was to the Fund which enabled him to study at Oxford from 1993 to 1996. What he wrote, below, will be what the Fund has enabled now more than 100 scholars to enjoy.

"Oxford provided me with a stimulating research environment, and a chance to work under the direction of an internationally recognized professor. I have learnt a lot of useful knowledge in my discipline. Moreover, the training at Oxford taught me the correct attitude to tackle a project/problem, and through the research process to generate new findings/knowledge. These are the skills which influence me deeply over the years"

After school at Beaumont College, Windsor, Rory attended Brasenose College, reading PPE, from 1960 to 1963. He was a popular and active member of College, becoming President of the JCR and Captain of Boats. He was a member of Oxford's oldest dining club, the Phoenix Common Room, founded in Brasenose possibly in 1782. On the University front he was a member of the Oxford University Boat Club Committee and a member of Vincents, another club owing its origins to Brasenose men.

Rory moved to Hong Kong in 1964 with P&O Shipping Lines and continued his interests in rowing through the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, where he was the Rowing Captain between 1965 and 1967. He competed in many regattas, including the Princess Beatrix Cup, the Far Eastern Amateur Rowing Association Championships, the British Week International Regatta and the Hong Kong Festival of Sport between 1965 and 1971. For many years he was a keen participant and supporter of the Oxford boat in the races against Cambridge at the O&C Soc of HK Boat Race Regatta. In England he had been elected to the Leander Club in Henley and regularly attended and entertained friends during the Henley Regatta weeks.

His business interests included banking and metal trading but he will be remembered mostly for his presence and connections with Stanley, where he ran several popular restaurants. He was a leading light at the Hong Kong Sea School where he was on the Board of Management from 1990 and had been Deputy Chairman since 2005. He was a keen supporter of the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Hong Kong, being President 1988/89. He was also an enthusiastic amateur racing driver and classic car collector. Many friends, particularly those visiting from overseas, will have happy memories of going out with him on his shared junk, the distinctive black "Cam Hong", and of him leading the refrain, "Are we happy? Yes we are".

He will be greatly missed by his sister, Diana, in England, as well as by his many friends in Hong Kong and around the world. Peter Sunderland, with him at Brasenose, in Hong Kong, and in COSF.

	Rory Brian Mario Nicholas -1938-2008
	It was with great sadness that we heard of the death of Rory Nicholas, in Hong Kong on 16th December 2008. A Requiem Mass was held for him on 14th January 2009 at St Anne's Church, Stanley and was attended by many of his friends from the China Oxford Scholarship Fund, The Hong Kong Sea School, the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Hong Kong, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and from "his village", Stanley. Rory played a big part in the setting up in 1992 of the Hong Kong Oxford Scholarship Fund, becoming one of the establishing Trustees. This subsequently became the China Oxford Scholarship Fund COSF. The other two Trustees were Peter Edwards and Sir David Akers-Jones, (BNC 1940), who particularly remembers his bubbling enthusiasm and his desire to do the right thing. Rory continued to play a role in the Fund, as a Trustee and firm supporter right up to his tragic early death, attending events both in Hong Kong and the Scholars' Summer Lunch at Hailey. Rory was involved in the first interviews and selection and the first Scholar, Kin Y Tarn, now Dr Tarn, remembers the selection interview back in 1992 with Rory and Sir David, and says how grateful he was to the Fund which enabled him to study at Oxford from 1993 to 1996. What he wrote, below, will be what the Fund has enabled now more than 100 scholars to enjoy. "Oxford provided me with a stimulating research environment, and a chance to work under the direction of an internationally recognized professor. I have learnt a lot of useful knowledge in my discipline. Moreover, the training at Oxford taught me the correct attitude to tackle a project/problem, and through the research process to generate new findings/knowledge. These are the skills which influence me deeply over the years" After school at Beaumont College, Windsor, Rory attended Brasenose College, reading PPE, from 1960 to 1963. He was a popular and active member of College, becoming President of the JCR and Captain of Boats. He was a member of Oxford's oldest dining club, the Phoenix Common Room, founded in Brasenose possibly in 1782. On the University front he was a member of the Oxford University Boat Club Committee and a member of Vincents, another club owing its origins to Brasenose men. Rory moved to Hong Kong in 1964 with P&O Shipping Lines and continued his interests in rowing through the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, where he was the Rowing Captain between 1965 and 1967. He competed in many regattas, including the Princess Beatrix Cup, the Far Eastern Amateur Rowing Association Championships, the British Week International Regatta and the Hong Kong Festival of Sport between 1965 and 1971. For many years he was a keen participant and supporter of the Oxford boat in the races against Cambridge at the O&C Soc of HK Boat Race Regatta. In England he had been elected to the Leander Club in Henley and regularly attended and entertained friends during the Henley Regatta weeks. His business interests included banking and metal trading but he will be remembered mostly for his presence and connections with Stanley, where he ran several popular restaurants. He was a leading light at the Hong Kong Sea School where he was on the Board of Management from 1990 and had been Deputy Chairman since 2005. He was a keen supporter of the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Hong Kong, being President 1988/89. He was also an enthusiastic amateur racing driver and classic car collector. Many friends, particularly those visiting from overseas, will have happy memories of going out with him on his shared junk, the distinctive black "Cam Hong", and of him leading the refrain, "Are we happy? Yes we are". He will be greatly missed by his sister, Diana, in England, as well as by his many friends in Hong Kong and around the world. Peter Sunderland, with him at Brasenose, in Hong Kong, and in COSF.