Noticeboard

Maurice Arthur METCALF (R20-24)

1908 – 2007

The second of three brothers to attend Framlingham, Maurice joined Shell-Mex in 1924 when he left school. He worked and lived in Durham where he married Dorothy Hornsby and where his daughters Anne and Gillian were born.

He had joined the RNVR and, upon the outbreak of the Second World War, started his active service with the rank of Lieutenant. 1941 was spent with Atlantic convoys, followed by a minesweeping role in the Barents Sea in 1942 based at Murmansk, North Russia. In 1943 Maurice was sent to the USA as a gun trials officer with the British Admiralty Delegation where he remained until the end of 1944. He finished the war as Gunnery Officer for Coastal Forces (South Wales).

After the war Maurice married his second wife Laura Lee Davis who worked in New Orleans and, in 1949, he put his interest and knowledge of plants to good use by opening a florist business in New Orleans. Soon his expertise and reputation enabled him to handle New Orleans society debutante parties, weddings and galas. So successful was he that he was able to retire from the florist business in 1959 and begin another phase to his life, traveling the world. He visited 29 countries before age made long distance travel too difficult, but being an avid writer, reader, gardener and artist he still had much to interest him. His watercolours were to be on view to the members of the New Orleans Museum of Art in November 2005 but the hurricanes Katrina and Rita in August 2005 prevented the exhibition.

Prior to his death Maurice was the oldest living OF. He is survived by his two daughters, 7 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.

|