Frank Ryan
| Frank T Ryan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 August 1920 |
| Died | 21 May 2023 (aged 102) |
| Education | Boston Grammar School (1932-1939) |
Frank T Ryan was educated at Boston Grammar School (1932-1939). He was in Gannock House.
Obituary
Written by Suzanne Ryan
Frank Ryan (8/8/1920 - 21/5/2023) went to Boston Grammar in the 1930s, most probably 1931 to 1939. His father died as a result of service in WW1, so Frank was supported by the British Legion.
He was a terrific sportsman, and was awarded colours for football and cricket. Several of the school track records he set in athletics stood for years afterwards. In 1938 and 1939 he played for the Gentlemen of Lincolnshire. After college he returned to Boston and played cricket for the Old Bostonians , 1941 - 45.
After school, Frank went to St John’s College, York on a state scholarship for teacher training. He went on to have a long and successful career in education - finishing his last 18 years as a headmaster in Barkston and Earlesfield Primary Schools in Grantham.
Frank married another bright spark of 1940s Boston youth - Audrey Sands - in 1946. The celebrated 65 years of married life together.
Frank remained grateful to his school and fond of his chums and his time there. He was a long-time Old Bostonian.
Sporting Achievements
Frank is often mentioned in issues of The Bostonian from the 1930s and 1940s. Here are some references to him.
The Bostonian 1938
F. T. Ryan, the Captain of Cricket, is to be congratulated on making 52 not out against Moulton, and so winning the first bat awarded by the Headmaster since 1935.
In the first match of the season against Spalding F. T. Ryan took the greatest number of wickets, but he did not always maintain his accuracy or his effectiveness in long spells.
At Sleaford he led the team brilliantly, but at other times he did not always handle the bowling and his field to the best advantage.
[A] misfortune befell the [school football] team when Ryan was injured against Sleaford, and did not return to the team until the last match of the season.
The School Mile was run on Wednesday, March 16th. There were only seven runners, many boys still being absent through influenza. The weather was fine but a strong breeze was blowing. Ryan soon overtook Bates who had received ten yards, and he led by several yards from Dodson and Bates at the end pf the first lap. Ryan increased his lead on the next lap and Crow came into second place, followed by Woods and Dodson. The field was now well strung out, and this order was maintained until the end. Ryan won easily from Crow in the record time of five minutes thirteen and three-fifth seconds. The previous record set up by C. C. N. Vass in 1921, was five minutes twenty-one seconds.
F.T. Ryan accomplished the most outstanding feat of the day [Athletic Sports - Thursday 12th May] by breaking the record for the Half-mile by 10.2 seconds. [in 2 minutes 15.2 seconds]
F.T. Ryan was captain of cricket for Gannock's.