May 2023. Malcolm Newing remembers Derek Warby:
Very sad to report that a dear friend and St Nick from 1964 to 1971, Derek Warby, passed away this week having battled cancer bravely for the last 6 months.
Derek made his mark whilst at School, at Loughborough Colleges, in the the RAF and his post military career.
At school he was Vice head in his final year, House captain, a member of almost every sports team and skipper of 1st XV rugby. Not just a sportsman he performed in two school plays , playing the role of Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet which was pretty much typecasting as he was a joker, full of fun and life in whatever he did.
He played representative rugby whilst at school , made the England U23's rugby squad whilst at Loughborough and played for the Wasps first team before joining the RAF.
In the RAF he led the Falcons Parachute jumping display team and was awarded an MBE for his military service. On leaving the RAF he served in Africa at the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping training Centre where he was further awarded an OBE for his services to peace keeping in Africa.
Wherever he went Derek left his mark, and will be sorely missed by his family and friends, sadly gone far too soon.
RIP my friend.