Obituaries

John King 25.4.24

John will be sadly missed by his many friends, and we pass our condolences to Alan and Benita, and family at this sad time. 

Michael (Mike) Kirkland 9.11.23

It is with great sadness we have to inform you that Michael Kirkland passed away peacefully at home, with his wife Viv and two daughters Karen and Johanne by his side, on the 9th November.

Michael played bowls since moving to Okehampton with Viv in 1997 and has been a much-loved club member. He spent many happy hours on the green and socialising with friends at the club.

He will be sorely missed by everyone and we pass our condolences to Viv and family at this sad time.

John Mills

John and Pat Mills on the occasion of their Diamond Wedding Anniversary

John was a member of the OSBC for about forty years and was President of the Club for the 2006-2007 seasons.

John was a very knowledgeable gardener and plantsman, and he designed and planted a special bed in the club garden as part of our 90th year celebration (1923-2013).

John was a very active member of the club, and organised many bowls coach tours for the club in the London and Oxford area. Being a practical person he also helped to build some parts of the Clubhouse extension, and was involved with painting and decorating the Clubhouse.

He was made a Life Member in recognition of all his hard work on behalf of the club, and for the countless hours spent voluntarily to improve and enhance the Clubhouse and grounds.

Sadly, John passed away in August 2023. He will be remembered by all his friends at OSBC.

Carol Ditchburn 31.7.23

It is much sadness that the club announces the passing of Carol Ditchburn a club member and friend, who enjoyed playing and socializing at most events at the club.  Carol brought fun to the game and will be missed especially by the lady members, she was a past joint ladies captain and organised some lovely Christmas lunches.  We pass on our condolences to Carol’s family at this sad time.  The family are having a memorial day on Saturday 2nd September from 11am until 2pm at the bowls club everyone is welcome to come and share their memories of Carol.

Mike Luxton 17.6.23

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Mike, a long standing member of many years who brought a great sense of humour to the bowls green and a long standing member of the green keeping team to help maintain the lovely green that we all enjoy.  He will be greatly missed and we pass on our condolences to Megan and family at this sad time. 

Don Gadd 3.5.23

Don was a most interesting person to talk to. He spent many years of his career working in motor racing, for Lotus Racing, working on, and designing suspension for their racing cars. During that time he met some very talented drivers, and spoke most fondly of people such as Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham and John Surtees to name but a few. Don also had a great passion for motorcycling.

Don started playing Bowls around 1984, as a form of relaxation and joined St. Neots Bowling Club in Cambridge with his wife Sheila.

In 2006 Don and Shelia moved to Bodmin in Cornwall, and joined the local bowls club. They were both very active members, during their time at Bodmin. Don held the positions of Club Captain, President and Chairman, and both he and Sheila played in many County Competitions for Cornwall.

We had the pleasure of meeting Don and Shelia, in April 2016, when they became members of O.S.B.C. With Don’s wealth of knowledge and experience in bowls and his engineering skills, Don was part of a group that helped design, and source the sign manufacturer of our club sign that is now attached to the Clubhouse.

It was an honour and privilege to have known Don, and it was with much sadness that we lost a great friend and member, on May 3rd 2023.

Arthur Griffiths 24.3.23

It is great sadness that we report of the passing of Arthur, a much loved member of the bowls club.  He will be greatly missed by everyone and our days bowling will never be quite the same.  He was a pro active member always ready to help and always a reliable pair of hands.