The obituary notice of Jack RAVENSCROFT

Sending our sincere condolences to all.

So sorry to read of Mr Ravenscroft’s passing. I had the pleasure of working at Thomas Magnay & Co on Regent Terrace for a few years from 1989 when I was 19. I have fond memories of the office and loved working alongside his long-standing secretary, the lovely Denise. I remember vividly Mr Ravenscroft standing over her shoulder dictating letters. A true gentleman xx

Dearest Jack.
When I first met David just after he left our school I was so impressed because he was such a gentleman and having joined the Ravenscroft family in 1980, I truly appreciate that you were the standard David has followed all his life. I couldn't have wished for a better father in law who demonstrated a work ethic that rubbed off on both of us and which we tried to emulate in our chosen careers. Your devotion, not only the family but to all the charitable institutions that you supported never wavered over the years. I remember every week we would receive the 5 to 7 page double sided air mail letters describing what we were missing in the UK and that usually I would have to give them to David as I struggled with the handwriting. As David had worked with you for a while at Magnay's, he was better at interpreting the detailed prose and we joked at how every time the first 3 pages were about the weather!

I have so many special memories of our times together such as the sheepish look you had as you stood soaking wet after having taken a canoe out by yourself at Tamwood resort and capsized. Kathleen gave you a right telling off whilst David and I stood behind her trying to suppress our giggles. In more recent years though when we were all together with our kids and grandkids staying at The Boat House in Bamburgh and your 90 year old mind, still so sharp, made the epic Scrabble play with all letters out on a triple word score. Although you were always a very modest person in all aspects of your life, on that occasion, the smug look on your face was absolutely priceless!

I feel so privileged to have known you and be a part of the Ravenscroft family for over 40 years and especially grateful that after my father died 15 years ago that you so ably filled that void. Your advice, fascinating stories of your early life and your dedicated care of Kathleen in the last few years will never be forgotten.
Love always Karen Ravenscroft xoxo

It is difficult to try and put words to the feelings and emotions we all feel right now. To lose someone so impactful in your life is extremely difficult; and, the world's events have intensified these feelings, as not only did we lose you but we also can’t be there to send you off properly or be there for Grandma. I am comforted that Uncle Stephen is there with her.
I also find solace in talking about you to my boys.

Reminiscing about how you made the best ‘death slide,’ and fort for Duncan and I; and how even late into your eighties you chopped down trees at Mum and Dad’s and made massive bonfires that may or may not have led to neighboring trees being set aflame.

I tell them about your dapper attire in the absence of any occasion, as well as all you have taught me in life; both directly, and indirectly through the lessons you passed on to Dad, Nigel, Andrew, and Stephen, all of whom have disseminated that wisdom in an ever-growing web of Ravenscroft humor, intelligence, and kindness.

Although some days have been hard, I feel comforted telling them about how you dug trenches and built dams with them in Bambrough, just as you did with Duncan I. They too are proud to have been a part of a tradition that was shared by four generations of Ravenscroft’s in my lifetime. And, rest assured that every beach tributary and river since has been explored, dug, and dammed accordingly.

Love you Grandpa.

Whenever I think of my Grandpa Jack, it always brings me back to the fond and joyful memories of my childhood. The never-ending warmth of my grandparents’ kitchen paired with the smell of bread toasting in the aga. My grandfather’s endless devotion to his beautifully kept garden. Countless road trips across the United States in our minivan. Watching my Grandpa climb up into the attic to fetch the antique train sets that he had kept for his grandchildren to play with. The smiles and laughter on the beaches of Bamburgh followed by cream tea and scones at the Copper Kettle. And of course, rock-pooling during low-tide at Beadnell beach; filling our little red plastic buckets with critters we would bring back to show our grandparents.
Most of all, I’m reminded that Grandpa Jack was the quintessential gentleman. Not simply because he was rarely seen without a full suit and tie, but because he consistently exemplified how all respectable men should act. The endless love and respect he showed toward my Grandmother is something I’ve always admired and tried my best to embody.
I've always believed that a person is never really gone if they are remembered. He will always rest within the fondest memories of my life, and I look forward to telling my future children all about their Great-Grandfather Jack.

Grandpa: I’ve tried to write this tribute a dozen times, and for once in my very outspoken life, I find myself at a loss for words. I don’t know what I can possibly say that would do justice to the person you were or the legacy you leave behind. I’ll simply say that for all of us grandkids, you were the standard bearer for the family. You represented everything we all strived to be—a caring husband, a loving father, a soldier, an intellectual, a man of wonderful (and sometimes terrible) humor, a person both articulate and thoughtful, as comfortable reading a book alone in the garden as you were giving an improvised speech to a crowded room. You were always up for a stroll along the rocks at Beadnell Beach or a putter around the garden. The defining memories of my childhood involve you in some way, whether we were exploring Hadrian’s Wall, having a cream tea at The Copper Kettle, building sandcastles at Bamburgh Beach, or playing Scrabble in your living room. Above all else, I will remember your kindness. You were, to me, the model for what a person should aspire to be, and I am forever grateful to have the privilege to call you my Grandpa. You lived a full and rich life, and you leave behind a family that loves you dearly and is grateful for everything you gave us and for everything you taught us. Andrea and I have spent a long time over the last few weeks sharing memories of you and looking at pictures of Zoey sitting on your lap. We look forward to many years of bringing her to the same beaches we played on as kids, taking her to The Copper Kettle, teaching her how to play Scrabble, and telling her stories about her Great Grandpa. Like everyone else, we were crushed to hear of your passing, in particular because we cannot be there to comfort Grandma and send you off properly. It’s your memory that gives us strength and reminds us that we should face our challenges with fortitude, humility, and grace—and, of course, always in a jacket and tie. We love and miss you

Grandpa, if there were a word for the profound sadness I feel losing you, I'm sure you would smugly play it in Scrabble, and blow us out of the water. Though I have been fortunate enough to have many visits and fond memories despite the ocean between us, I wish I could have had infinitely more. Walks along the coast to Dunstanburgh, great construction projects in the sands at Bamburgh, and epic games of Scrabble in your sweltering lounge. I will cherish each of these memories forever. Grandma, I wish I could be there for you in person as I know words cannot suffice. I hope you can take comfort in the fact that his and your legacy continues on in us. I will always strive to be the type of husband, father and gentleman that Grandpa exemplified, though it is such a high bar. I love you so much, and am thinking about you every day.