Honorary Alderman Roger Marjoribanks Remembered At Thanksgiving Service

Published on: 18 Apr, 2013
Updated on: 18 Apr, 2013

The cover of the order of service for this morning’s thanksgiving.

A thanksgiving service for Honorary Alderman Roger Marjoribanks was held this morning, April 18, at Holy Trinity Church.

The congregation heard from Andrew Hodges, Honorary Freeman and former leader of Guildford Borough Council, in his eulogy that: “We might be the poorer for losing him but we are richer for having known him.”

The service, conducted by Canon Robert Cotton, was attended by Mrs Marjoribanks and her family, a group of more than 20 freemen, alderman and councillors from Guildford Borough Council and many former friends and colleagues, some of whom were fellow freemasons.

Alderman Marjoribanks’ career as a history teacher was recalled as well as his eight years service as a borough councillor, during which time he was the main protagonist for the development of the Spectrum leisure centre.

Subsequently, in 2001, he was appointed the town’s honorary remembrancer and it was for his service in this role that he was made an honorary alderman.

His passion for historical research, aided by his linguistic skills in Latin and Ancient Greek, motivated him to trace his family roots in Edinburgh back to the 14th century and also to investigate and write down the local history of Burpham, where he lived with his family for many years. Interests in cricket, rugby and bridge were also recalled.

Alderman Marjoribanks daughter Sally read Rudyard Kipling’s poem My Father’s Chair and the Mayor of Guildford, Cllr Jennifer Jordan, read John 14. 1-6.

After the service many of the attendees retired to a reception at the Guildhall.