So many of my childhood memories include Colin - swimming lessons, weekend walks, adventures to Cornwall learning to body board, camping trips, housegroup weekends and so many amazing holidays. The main thing I remember is lots and lots of laughing! Colin was so optimistic, fun and kind. We will really miss him.
Sending all our love, Harry & Rob xxxx
Harriet
4th May 2020
Our earliest memories of Colin are when he was a teenager at the Mint and we were at university. I remember a teenager with a mop of golden curls (it was the 70s!), rosy cheeks and broad smile; Martin remembers playing Pharoah in the Church Anniversary performance of 'Joseph' when Colin took the lead role. But our stronger memories are from a later period, when we stayed on after university to live in Exeter and Colin also returned from university to settle in Exeter. He joined the UBI housegroup, and I remember evenings in his flat at Exmouth when he was teaching at Exmouth Community College. Colin was a core member of our housegroup, and like Peter and Kay, we too remember the 'Colin activities' at housegroup retreats, especially the construction tasks! The trebuchet is a definite top spot memory, but I do also remember all of us on the floor, building with spaghetti and jelly baby joints. For Colin, the glass was always half-full; there was always a bright side; there was always a possibility, not a problem... and that is a very special gift. We will miss him hugely!
Debra
10th April 2020
Our overriding memory of Colin at Southhampton university, which is where Chris and I met and befriended Colin, was that he was a very happy person with a warm heart and big smile; he was just so easy to be with and we enjoyed his company. I was in J block in Glen Eyre hall and Colin was in the next room to me. As he was already a Christian and I became a Christian in our first term, Colin was a blessing to me; he was steady and secure in himself and his faith. I do remember his love of ABBA music, which I didn’t share at the time but at least it wasn’t heavy metal being played next door! In second year Colin shared a house with Chris and 5 other chaps; a lot of silliness and fun was had in that house in Westwood Road alongside sufficient studying to move into our third years. We have had a number of reunions over the years, which Colin has always come to with Katherine, the most recent being last August (40 years from when we first met). We were all so impressed and humbled at how brave Colin and Katherine were to come to a social of this kind but we knew how important it was for him to keep on living as best as he could and in spite of his limitations with speech he patiently communicated with us all and was so attentive in his conversation showing a genuine interest in others. We are immensely grateful that he and Katherine came to this gathering and he will be missed by those of us who knew him and enjoyed his company 40 years ago at university.
Anne
5th April 2020
