Ted Crowe, Old Blundellian, dies

Ted Crowe, a very good friend of Old Cranleighan cricket, died suddenly aged 79 in his armchair at his home in Sampford Peverell, Devon on January 28, 2008.

Ted went to Blundell's School in Tiverton. After National Service in the Army and Pembroke College, Cambridge, he became a member of the staff at Blundell's, combining teaching mathematics with coaching rugby and cricket during his time at the school from 1953 to 1989.

"Ted always encouraged youngsters to play," Old Blundellian Vic Marks, who went on to play Test and one-day cricket for England, recalled. "He didn't try to coach too much but made sure they had the opportunity to play in good quality matches against better players and had the chance to improve their game that way. Ted never married, for no other reason than he had all the family he needed at Blundell's. We will all miss him."

Ted was originally from the south east and was born and grew up at South Nutfield near Reigate in Surrey. The son of a cricket enthusiast who formed his own team which he aptly called The Crows. As a young man he played rugby and cricket, where he was a wicketkeeper and hard hitting batsman. When the original Tiverton CC folded, he joined Sidmouth and played for them until the mid-1970s. After retiring from teaching, Ted joined the Devon CCC committee in 1991 and was still a member when he died. He was elected a Vice President of the Cricketer Cup committee in 2006.

"Ted was a good pal for over 50 years," said John McDermott. "From the early days in the 1950s when as Master in Charge of rugby he brought those very powerful Blundell's sides to the OC Club, later when the OCCC cricket week was restarted he brought an Old Blundellian XI annually for a two-day match at Cranleigh. Finally for the last 11 years he generously hosted his OCCC friends at the Old Blundellian suite at Taunton County Ground. He never changed. He loved his sport being very knowledgeable and well known. He was great fun to be with."


Ted was a familiar figure at the County Ground in Taunton, where he hosted the Old Blundellians box in the Ondaatje Pavilion since it was first built in 1995, and which in future will be known as the Ted Crowe Box.