In Memoriam

Membership of any Oxford college or hall does not end with graduation. Friendships are often sustained throughout life and we are always interested to follow and celebrate the achievements of old members. At Regent’s, we are grateful for the good links we manage to maintain with many alumni and friends, often over decades.

In this magazine, each year, we list the names of those members of the community whom we know to have died. In doing so, we give thanks for their contributions to College life and seek to have fellow alumni the opportunity to recognise their passing; relatives and friends are vital in ensuring that the College receives and is able to share this news. In 2019/20, the College has lost: Kenneth J. Ovey (11 February 2019) Theology, 1950

Dr Eli Daniel Potts (6 August 2019) DPhil Modern History, 1961

Revd William A. Carter (9 February 2020) Theology, 1973

Revd Robert J. Paul (13 April 2020) Theology, 1963

Sir John Houghton (15 April 2020) Former Member of College Council The Greyfriars alumni community responded with shock this August to the news of the sudden and untimely death of Seb Patrick, who read English at Greyfriars 2001-2004. A journalist and well-liked figure within the sci-fi community, Seb passed away suddenly due to a suspected heart attack at just 37, leaving behind his wife Jo and fiveyear-old daughter Lois.

Seb was always proud to be a member of Greyfriars and was delighted to DJ at the Hall’s infamous ‘Monastery of Sound’ night. But his enthusiasm for his activities often took him out into the university beyond the college, particularly in connection with his passion for music. In his second year he shared a house with friends from the university’s Indie Music Society, of which he was treasurer. This led him to produce ‘Spiral Scratch’, a show on the student radio station, which allowed him to share his passion for 1970s punk music.

Seb was a popular and well-known figure at Greyfriars, a hall which, as with any small community, allowed people to make connections with people outside of their natural orbit. Former Warden of Greyfriars, Fr. Thomas Weinandy remembers Seb’s ‘creative and imaginative mind, one that was full of excitement’, while Greyfriars JCR President Rupert Abbott (2002-2003) recalls that ‘he was one of the great characters of my time at university’. He will be missed.

Since his time at Greyfriars, Seb’s unashamed love and enthusiasm for comics, comic book movies and all things geek-culture led him to produce many successful podcasts, articles, fansites, and also to a career which included editorship of the official Red Dwarf website, with TV channel Dave airing an in memoriam card in Seb’s name during the transmission of a recent documentary about Red Dwarf. A fundraiser in loving memory of Seb has raised over £33,000 to date, with proceeds supporting his widow and young daughter. It is a testament to Seb’s own generosity and kindness that his tragic death at such a young age has inspired such tributes; he lives on in so many people’s fond memories, from his time at Greyfriars and life in the wider world.

This obituary was prepared by Seb Patrick’s friend and contemporary, Greyfriars alumna Catherine Bray (English Language and Literature, 2001).