Obituary - William (Bill) Tomlinson

1930-2020

William John Joseph Tomlinson, or Bill as he was known, was born on 16 June 1930 in Yorkton Street, East London, the second child of Sarah and William. He had three sisters Christina, Betty and Maureen.

His childhood was disrupted by the war when he was evacuated in September 1939 and did not return to London until July 1942. He would often talk about this time with mixed emotions, but the lesson he learned from his time away was the importance of family being together. In September 1948 he undertook his national service and was sent to Malta. He enjoyed his time there and subsequently returned many times for a holiday. Bill met Louise (Lucy) in the summer of 1957 at a dance at St Monica’s in Hoxton and they married in December 1958. They recently celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary.

Bill spent the majority of his working life in the print industry where he was a finisher; cutting, folding and stitching books and magazines. He was an active member of the Trades Union and during the Wapping dispute he spent many a night on the demonstrations in support of his sacked colleagues before going off to his night shift on the Daily Express. He often recalled the time when he instigated a debate on euthanasia at one of their general meetings and, to Bill’s great delight, members passed a resolution against the practice.

Bill (thurifer) leading the procession in to St Mary Moorfields Church during the Easter Vigil 2017

When Fleet Street ceased printing newspapers Bill was made redundant and started working for the Latin Mass Society. It was during his time at the LMS that the Office moved into Macklin Street and Bill would tell the story of how they had to carry all the furniture and files up three flights of stairs as there was no lift at that time. He even enlisted the assistance of his son, David, to help with the move.

Bill was a life-long supporter, promotor and server of the Latin Mass. He would regard every conversation as an opportunity to promote the Latin Mass to almost everybody he met. Despite suffering from arthritis for much of his life, Bill would waste no time in donning cassock and cotta if there was an opportunity to serve the Latin Mass. He certainly knew how to swing a thurible! Another of his favourite stories was to tell how he served multiple Masses in one day in St Peter’s in Rome during a server’s guild pilgrimage.

For over 50 years he was an active member of The Knights of St Columba, still holding the office of Treasurer of his Council to the day he died.

We have much to be grateful to Bill for: his dedication to the Latin Mass, his devout affection to Catholic faith and teaching and his commitment to pro-life causes, to name but a few things. We extend our condolences to Lucy and their family at this time. Fortified by the Rites of Mother Church, Bill died in St Joseph’s Hospice on 10th February. His Funeral Rites (in the Extraordinary Form) where held in St John the Baptist Church, Hackney where, not surprisingly, he convinced the Parish Priest to introduce the Latin Mass, which he regularly served.