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TONY RUANE
The Brothers and wives of Swale Circle were shocked and saddened by the death of Tony Ruane on the 11th January, 2008.
Anthony Michael Roy Ruane was born in London on the 26th June, 1936, the son of Patrick and Alice Ruane. Sadly his mother died when Tony was only three years old and as a result he was raised by his father and two aunts. He was educated at Saint Bonaventure School in Forest Gate and then in 1954 he joined the RAF to carry out his National Service. This was to be the start of a lifelong interest in flying and when circumstances in later life allowed him to turn this interest into an active hobby he successfully gained his solo pilot’s licence in 2001 at the age of 65. He took great pleasure and pride in being able to take up friends including fellow Catenians on flights with him over the Kent countryside.
In 1958 Tony went on a ‘blind date’ arranged by a lifelong friend Mel McKinnon his date in the foursome being a young lady called Josephine Lines. Within six weeks Tony had proposed and in 1960 Tony and Jo were married. They set up home in Islington with Jo’s mother where Yvonne and Michelle were born. They moved to Barking, Essex in 1965 and in 1966 their family was completed with the arrival of Patrick. It was whilst in Essex that he joined the Association as a member of West Essex Circle.
Tony worked for most of his life in sales and, in addition, in 1990 he also set up a family based Printing Business in Faversham. A change of job in 1975 brought the family to Kent to their present home in Sittingbourne. By 1976 he had become a founder member of the 7th Sittingbourne Scout Troop (later the 7th Sittingbourne Sea Scouts) and was an active scouter for a number of years.
With his move to Kent Tony transferred his Catenian membership from West Essex Circle to Maidstone. On the 10th January, 1978, Grand President Albert Smallbone inaugurated Swale Circle as the 282 Circle of the Association with Tony as one of the Founder members. He was to be a leading light in that Circle until his death. He was President in 1986-87, 1990-91 and again for two terms in 1996-1998. When the Circle fell on hard times, in the early 1990s, with membership dropping to around 17, including a number of dual members, Tony played a major role in helping to get the Circle back on its feet and flourishing again as it now does with 38 members.
Tony also served as Provincial Councillor and in 2006-07 was President of Province 7 and among the many memories of that year in office are his Provincial Weekend in Antwerp (when it snowed) and his President’s Sunday when it rained! However, the highlight of that year had to be the inauguration of Ashford Circle, the end result of much hard work in the Province, in which Tony played a major role.
Tony was a keen singer: he was one of the three regular cantors (the ‘three tenors’!) at the Sacred Heart Church 11.00am Mass and he led the Swale choir which performed every year at the Canterbury Circle’s Kinsella Cup Carol Concert - leading them to victory in his last appearance in December, 2007. He was also famous (infamous!), at least in Swale Circle, for his ‘Sing along with Tony’ evenings after Circle meetings.
Although Brothers were aware that he was suffering from cancer his sudden death came as a great shock to everyone. The respect and affection for him was clearly evidenced at his Requiem Mass on the 28th January, 2008 with a church full to overflowing and necessitating a video link to the neighbouring Parish Room.
He will be sadly missed by his family and by all who had the good fortune to know him.
May he rest in peace
