We are sorry to hear that Brian Tyler passed away peacefully on 24 April, 2016, aged 86. The funeral service took place on Tuesday 10 May at 1pm, at the Garden of England Crematorium, Bobbing.
Peter Lusted, OBA vice-President, commented "I cannot claim to be one of Brian's contemporaries, but first met him when I started playing for the Old Boys Football team, aged 17 in 1968. Brian was the "old man" playing wide on the left side. It soon became clear that this "old man" was a player of some quality and could certainly teach the young Old Boys a thing or two. I subsequently learnt that he had played for Portsmouth. Brian was one of life's and football's gentlemen and it was always good to see him at Old Boys' Dinners and have a chat. A sad loss indeed."
Ted Hobday has responded to this news:
Sorry to hear of Brian’s death. He and I were in the same "B" form, starting at 2B in 1941 and finishing in 1946. New boys together in Mr Goff’s form. We were very friendly throughout those years and usually got together at OBA events, at least when I was at home from sea.
Brian was always a "sporty" type, playing all games for form, house and school and a great favourite with Mr Horlock because of his sports. He was also always in the lead of most things that took place.
The other thing that he and I had in common (together with others that started in 41) is that we and George Hardy were new boys together! Although they were the war years, culminating in the "Doodlebug" period, they were good years at BGS.
And of course I am the same age as Brian!
Ted Hobday
Marc Stewart has also responded to the news:
Bryan Tyler was the nephew of another Old Bordenian, Sergeant William Tyler, Machine Gun Corps, who was killed in action in 1916, aged twenty. Until very recently, Bryan was a regular attendee at the OBA's Remembrance Service, held each year in the school to commemorate those old boys who lost their lives in the two world wars, and was invariably dressed in his very dapper houndstooth suit. He clearly had a great deal of respect for his uncle, once commenting that he must've been "bloody good", or words to that effect, in order to be promoted to sergeant at such a young age. He'll be greatly missed.
Marc