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Thank you for coming
here today to celebrate the life of Ronnie Norton. He was
our very good friend and a much loved member of our family.
Ronnie has tragically been taken away from us at a very early age,
when we all would have hoped to share his continuity, friendship and
warm sincerity for many years to come. He was a man of great
integrity and will be sadly missed by all of us here today and by the
many others of his family and friends who have not been able to be
here at this time. Ronnie’s mother Pamela and his younger sister
Tanya and brother Ashley would very much have liked to be here if they
could.
Despite the sad loss we all feel though, we should also be thankful
that the terrible illness which has taken his life so prematurely was
relatively short-lived and he did not have to endure a much longer
period of pain and suffering.
We
must also offer our sincere thanks to the doctors and staff of Queen
Mary Hospital here in Hong Kong, who were outstanding in their
treatment and care of Ronnie during what were to be the final weeks of
his life, until he passed away in his sleep and free of pain 9 days
ago (23rd February).
I
know too that many of Ronnie’s dear friends here today have all made a
tremendous contribution to supporting and helping both Ronnie and
Shari his sister in many ways over this very difficult and distressing
time. Without wishing to understate in any way what each of you
have done, Shari and I would especially like to thank Tom Jamieson who
has been an absolute tower of strength and has shouldered much of the
burden with great courage and fortitude; and Frank, Flora
(Murdoch) and Dave Wheelband for all the support they have provided
without hesitation.
Today
is not an occasion for sadness though, we have all known Ronnie for
many years and we are here to celebrate both his life and the great
times and many happy memories we all have from sharing his friendship
over a long time. He was highly respected by all who knew him.
Both
Ronnie and his sister Shari shared a tragic start to their life 54
years ago when their father was killed in a boating accident before
they were born. They spent much of their early years in boarding
school in Ireland, not always a pleasant experience, before travelling
with their mother Pamela to Canada and then with Pamela and their new
stepfather Dick to live in England, Spain and then Germany.
Ronnie’s stepfather was a very good jazz pianist and a keen
photographer and Ronnie inherited his love of both jazz and
photography from that time. In his late teens, Ronnie worked as a
photographer for the British army in Germany.
During his later working life, Ronnie worked successfully for Bechtel
for many years in human resources management before eventually
branching out in his own recruitment business Norton & Associates.
Over many years he has placed many talented and capable people on
major project contracts in various parts of
the world.
I
know from feedback from many, that all those he has placed have
without exception continued to hold Ronnie is the highest regard.
In
recent years Ronnie has, as you know, worked very closely with Tom
Jamieson and Brian Macnay who have not only been close business
associates but also the very truest of friends.
Last
but not least, I’d like to mention Snapper, Ronnie’s faithful dog an
companion over the last eight years whom all of you will know.
If Snapper could speak I’m sure he would say how much he shares our
loss now that Ronnie is no longer with us.
And
now I’d ask you all to stand and share a minute of silence, to pay our
respects to Ronnie and remember the happy times we all shared with
him. He will always remain in our thoughts and hearts.
Thank
you. |
The Wild Colonial Boy
There was a Wild
Colonial Boy
Ronnie Norton was his name
Of good and honest parents
Who hoped that he’d have fame
He was his father’s future hope
His mother’s pride and joy
And dearly did his parents love
The Wild Colonial Boy
When just into his
teenage years
He started out to roam
From the Continent to Africa
His suitcase was his home
He travelled to the Persian Gulf
And good men did employ
To fight the fires of tyranny
The Wild Colonial Boy
He settled down on
Lamma Isle
In Colonial Hong Kong
He hadn’t fame or fortune
But he always got along
Then fate dealt him the ace of spades
It was an awful ploy
To bring about a sudden end
To the Wild Colonial Boy
So join him now in
memory
As he roams the mountains high
Remember Ronnie’s better times
And he will never die
He’ll still be helping out his mates
Whenever they’re in strife
And having no regrets about
The way he lived his life
The Wild Colonial Boy |
