Bob Barltrop 1954-2024

Bob Barltrop was born on 1 June 1954 in Beeston, Nottingham, the middle of three boys. He was educated at Rydal School, Colwyn Bay and went up to Fitzwilliam in 1973 to read law.

With his confident, outgoing nature and enthusiasm, Bob took to college life like a duck to water. He was prop forward for the first Rugby XV for all three years. He was Rugby Vice-Captain and Secretary in his final year and always at the forefront on rugby club nights in the College Bar. He loved to take part in most sports, winning an oar in the rugby/football boat at the May Bumps and as a bruising centre forward in the Prawns football team in their unlikely but famous run to the Plate Final.

It was testament to his sociability, good humour and dedication to college activities that he was well known to almost all of his Fitz contemporaries. He achieved the balance of living life to the full while studying hard enough to gain a 2:1 (sometimes with a little help from his friends). He made friendships at Fitzwilliam which lasted a lifetime.

Bob first met Hilary during their school days and through college years, she was a regular visitor to Fitz, usually bringing her legendary flapjack. Bob and Hilary were married in Cheshire in the hot summer of 1976.

After a couple of years working in Insurance in Manchester, he worked with his brother, Mike, in a family construction company honing building skills which proved useful in later years. The adverse economy obliged Bob to go south to seek employment. He obtained a job with De Beers, the London based diamond purchasing company and was soon transferred to their management programme.

After a short initial spell in Antwerp, then an intensive course in Portuguese, he was posted to Angola in 1981. Including a spell in Zaire, he worked in Africa for about four years, eventually running the De Beers operation from Luanda. For most of the time, he was joined by Hilary and their expanding family, coping at times with infrequent power and water supplies. Bob’s renowned brand of ‘delicate diplomacy’ must have been sorely tested especially in dealing with various high-level Government officials.

After serving his time in Africa, Bob was moved back to Antwerp in 1985 as Head of European Gem Services. Here, life for his family - now three children - was considerably more comfortable than Angola and they spent seven happy years there. He became an active member of Antwerp Cricket Club.

In 1992, he returned to London to be promoted to Head of Administration for De Beers where he was able to apply his calm and pragmatic approach to rationalising the business. One of his colleagues commented that he never brought forward a problem without offering at least two solutions. He also said he had the loudest unamplified voice he had ever heard and a hypersonic sneeze which could pierce armour.

He and Hilary bought a house in Harpenden which required renovation, much of it carried out by Bob in his spare time, employing his building skills. When he took his young son to Harpenden Rugby Club, Bob soon became involved, helping run junior teams, then playing for the 4^th team.

With his usual commitment, he then coached, refereed, handled club disciplinary matters and ran their annual Sevens Tournament for many years, often with microphone in hand. Bob was front and centre of the rugby club.

After early retirement, he took on the challenge of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro – nearly 6,000m high, with a group of friends, contributing his organisational skills and enthusiasm to a successful ascent in 2013. The group continued to meet for annual challenges including walking, climbing, cycling, canoeing and rowing trips.

He was a founder member of Fitzwilliam Golf Society in 2009, and was its hard-working Treasurer until shortly before his death. He never took golf too seriously and he was always a pleasure to play with. His boundless good humour at many golf days contributed greatly to the success of the society, bringing together dozens of alumni, united by their Fitzwilliam background. He was also a popular member of Mid Herts Golf Club.

One of his lifelong hobbies was military history, particularly of the Manchester Regiment. He collected medals and was an active member of the Orders and Medals Research Society  and The European Phaleristics Society, regularly attending their conventions. In retirement, he edited their quarterly newsletter which was always issued with interesting articles and, of course, on time. Other retirement activities included beating for a local game shoot. He was appointed a Trustee for the De Beers Pension Fund which he carried with his customary dedication.

Always committed to whatever he was doing, he was always diligent and thorough, a steadfast and reliable friend or colleague and devoted to his wife and children.  

He dealt pragmatically with his treatment for oesophageal cancer, carrying out on as many activities as he could until shortly before his death on 18 February 2024 - only a few months before his Golden Matriculation Dinner at Fitzwilliam. He is survived by his wife, Hilary and children, Nikki, Pippa and Tom.

Bob did so much in his life. He was a tremendous friend, a loving family man and generally a brilliant guy with a great sense of fun. Whatever Bob was engaged in, his family life, business, socially, in sport, he did so with an unbridled enthusiasm which was infectious to all around him. He was a wonderful man and it has been a great privilege to have known him.