Lt Col Roy Dorey 1928 – 2017
There was a congregation of over 100 in Borley Church on 13 April at a commemoration service for Roy Dorey who passed away, after a lengthy illness, on 30th March.
Roy and Marian moved to Borley in 1985 and soon became fixtures in the village; Roy as chairman of the Parish Meeting and PCC treasurer, and Marian as church warden (as she still is).
Roy joined the army in 1948 and rose to the rank of Lt Col in a long and illustrious career. He retired in 1976 after three years in Stockholm as Military Attaché, preceded by three years as an instructor at the RMCS staff college. During his career he had numerous foreign postings, including two years with the Paras in Cyprus and Suez, followed by a year as an exchange officer with the US 101 Airborne Division in Kentucky (when he logged 138 jumps).
He was a keen athlete. He played basketball and squash for the army and rugby for the army, his regiment and BOAR (refereeing as well), and was actually called for an England trial but the army refused his request. He skied, sailed and much else.
Roy was adept at tackling ghost hunters and we shall miss his robust approach to them. He leaves behind Marian, his wife of almost 64 years (they met while still at school while he was searching for a lost dog), and a dynasty of three sons and eight grandchildren.
He was a man of his time, truly gentlemanly and his charm will be sorely missed, by his many friends, various bridge clubs, Probus and the local community.