John Ottley (1947-2016)
John, our Secretary and friend, died on 18th December 2016 aged 69. John had been fighting cancer for some time but in typical ‘John’ style he kept fighting onward. At times he appeared to be pulling through, however he took a rapid downwards turn just before his death which came as a shock to us all. John served as Secretary to The Old Burians for 38 years in two parts, first from 1968-74 and then from 1984 until his death. His service will not easily be forgotten and his shoes will certainly be hard to fill. The Association will not be the same without him.
A warm tribute to John was given at his funeral by Geoff Barton, then Head of King Edward VI School.
The following report appeared in the The Old Burian Magazine of 2018:
JOHN OTTLEY’S GRAVE AT ROUGHAM
John’s headstone has now been placed in St Mary’s Churchyard, Rougham. His grave lies to the south west of the church next to that of his parents. His Old Burians’ scarf is looking rather bedraggled now so it will be replaced by some other more durable item to honour his contribution to the Old Burians’ Association. If you are in the area and have the time, do drop by to see the magnificent church, where John played the organ for many years from a very early age, and spend a few quiet moments at the grave – you are welcome to leave some flowers if you wish.