The Queen's College Record 2023

Obituaries
These were his days of forging the first leveraged buyouts and what are now IPO’s.
But corporate structures were not for him personally, so he and another partner
started their own business buying companies and creating investment opportunities
for other entities – the first private equity deals. Such transactions formed the basis
of what became Colin’s fortune, and those involved with him in those endeavours
hatched new, long-lasting friendships both in the US and England.
During these years he had married Virginia Decker. Like many eccentric men of
brilliance Colin could be demanding, cussed and curmudgeonly, but Ginnie handled
him marvellously. She became a wonderful wife to him in every way and remained
so his whole life long. She also became a much-loved friend to all of us, his friends.
Eventually they settled, as far as New York was concerned, on Park Avenue, their
apartment spacious enough to accommodate, essential for Colin, his library. Not
surprisingly given his academic prowess he read all the time, a good deal of the
serious grist necessary for his particular mill being historical. Their second home,
much loved by them both, was a large, elegant clapboard villa in Newport RI, again
with the private library. It is a beautiful place with well-timbered grounds, wide sea
frontage and a private jetty.
Evelyn Waugh once famously said, “you must always keep your friendships in good
repair”. Colin and Ginnie always worked hard to achieve exactly that, and far more. It
has been one of their main preoccupations to do as much as possible to share their
good fortune with their friends. Their generosity has been legendary. Regularly there
have been entertainments, parties, even cruises. No-one lucky enough to have been
on board will ever forget the MV Hallas. This retired and refurbished ex-Bosphorus
ferry paddle-steamer was hired to celebrate Colin’s fiftieth birthday: visits along the
coast of Turkey taking in Ephesus and other ancient sites, meticulously researched
by Colin, and all comforts beautifully overseen by Ginnie. A trip of a lifetime.
As well as generosity on a personal level, Colin never forgot his debt to his old
College. Our immediate coterie of friends has always remained staunchly proud
of being Queensmen. In Colin’s case these feelings have manifested themselves
under a veil of discretion, if not secrecy, in endowments and gifts to his old College.
Queen’s always remained in his heart. He was due to return in September 2023 to
our undergraduate dining club The Queen’s Table, for which he always if possible
crossed the Atlantic. This year, sadly, this was not to be. To say he was missed is
an understatement.
I remember his once telling me at Queen’s where he had just returned after some
time away, that he heard echoing round the cloister a loud, unmistakably Yorkshire,
voice shouting to a friend. “Ay oop lad, did y’ ‘ear ‘Aaaaalifax got thraashed....”.
He never forgot it and he and I used frequently to greet each other when meeting,
108 The Queen’s College | College Record 2023