Funeral of Surgeon Commander Rick Jolly – Saturday 10th February 2018

The funeral of Surgeon Commander Rick Jolly OBE was held at HMS Raleigh, Torpoint, Cornwall on Saturday, 10 February, with 550 people attending the service and many more lining the route. 

Major General Julian Thompson, former Commander of 3 Commando Brigade, represented the Duke of Edinburgh; Admiral Sir James Perowne the Prince of Wales; Surgeon Vice Admiral Alasdair Walker the Duke of York and the First Sea Lord. Also in attendance were Commodore Inga Kennedy, head of the RN Medical Service; the London Representative of the Falkland Islands Government, Sukey Cameron; the Argentine Ambassador, Senator Renato Carlos Sersale de Cerisamo and his Defence Attache, Group Captain Fernado Luis Mengo. The FIA was represented by Executive Committee member, Col. Mike Bowles. 

The service was conducted by the Rev’d Ralph Barber, RN Chaplain, and the Rev’d David Cooper, Chaplain to 2 Para in 1982 and Chaplain to the South Atlantic Medal Association (SAMA82) which Rick Jolly helped to found. The eulogy was delivered by Dr Richard Page, a longstanding friend from their medical training days in St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London. Nine veterans of the Medical Squadron of the Commando Logistics Regiment Royal Marines acted as pall bearers, with a flypast by a Hawk Fast Jet from 736 Naval Air Squadron and a Merlin helicopter from 814 Naval Air Squadron marking his links to the Fleet Air Arm. 

Concluding his eulogy, Dr Page quoted Brigadier General Sergio Fernandez of the Argentine War Veterans Association as saying: 

“The world has lost one of the best human beings of this era”. 

We offer our sincere condolences to Rick Jolly’s wife, Susie, and family.