Farewell Mike Bolton (1934-2021)
Capt. MW Bolton (1934-2021)
We are sad to record the passing of Mike Bolton, indefatigable enthusiast for life and the court games at which he excelled.
At Wellington he was in the Rackets pair 1950-53 and after Sandhurst joined the RE in 1955 and the Sarawak Rangers in 1959, So moved by his experience there he wrote the English Sea Dayak dictionary from his hospital bed.
Mike was variously Army Singles (56-59) and Doubles (54, 57-59) Rackets champion and Combined Services champion (56). He was Irish Real Tennis champion in 2003 .
Chairman of the Governors Kings Hospital School in Dublin, he was a prime mover in the process to restore the Dublin Real Tennis Court.
After the Army, he farmed in Co. Wicklow where stories of him are legion.
A man of prodigious energy Mike was a superb host and raconteur, had time for everyone and once met was never forgotten. Not larger than life, he WAS life and is still the only man to have jumped from the gallery onto the Wellington Rackets court as his warm-up.
Though not in the best of health in his later years he continued to play his beloved games into his 80s and scrapped for ever point.
Mike was a wonderful man and he will be much missed by all who were lucky enough to have known him.
Our thoughts at this time are very much with Pooh (Patricia) and the large loving family of whom he was immensely proud.
Chris Potter
