Remembering the life of John Scollay
The life of John Scollay, lifeboatman, Winkle Club Member and life-long resident of Hastings, will be remembered this Friday (1st March) at a special celebration in the RNLI Lifeboat house on The Stade.
John, a well-known and much-loved member of the Hastings community, was born at the Buchanan Hospital in April 1958 and attended both Sandown and Priory Road schools in the town. His first jobs were as a Saturday boy in his father’s butcher’s shop, and later working in the Angling Centre in The Old Town. After school he initially worked at Buss Foods in Dury Lane. However, he became a familiar face to many hundreds of customers when he took over the running of Scollay’s shop on The Ridge after his father became ill in the late 1980’s.
Outside of work John’s sporting interests included playing football from early age, both in the road and on a pitch, before going on to become a referee and physio for local teams; in later years golf became more of a passion. He was also a long-standing and active member of Hastings Winkle Club, serving on the committee, organising events such as the Crazy Golf competition and overseeing the raffle prizes at the Club’s annual dinner.
John had been a Hastings RNLI Lifeboat volunteer for nearly twenty-five years. Initially working as launch crew on the beach, he went on to become a tractor driver and eventually Head Launcher. Over the years he became one of the most experienced and respected members of the Hastings lifeboat team and was still on active service at the time of his death.
A celebration of John’s life will be held at the Lifeboat Station this Friday 1st March, to which all are welcome to attend.
Winkle Club members will assemble on Winkle Island at 12 noon when John’s coffin will pass on its way to the Lifeboat Station, where a guard of honour will escort him into the boathouse. The celebration will begin at 12.30, before John leaves the boathouse for the last time, and journeys up to the crematorium for a family service at 2.00pm.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.