By David F. Rooney
James Cecil Baring, 6th Baron Revelstoke, has died. Born on August 16, 1938, the charming descendent of the first Lord Revelstoke after whom our city is named died on February 7 at the age of 73 after an excellent lunch and an enjoyable flight as co-pilot over the Irish Sea.
Loved and admired father of Alex, Tom, Aksinia and Miranda. The funeral will be for family only.
His very brief official obituary said “a Service of Celebration of his life will be held in London in the spring. Details will be announced shortly via his website. To be kept informed, join our Mailing List. Please inform anyone else who may wish to know.”
Revelstokians who wish to leave their own thoughts and memories of Lord Revelstoke can do so on his website’s Guestbook, which includes anecdotes from his friends and family.
Lord Revelstoke visited our community in 2009 for that year’s Homecoming celebrations. As Revelstoke Museum Curator Cathy English recalled, “he was a real good sport” for sticking to the gruelling schedule assigned to him by the Homecoming Organizing Committee.
“I was very sorry to hear of his death,” English said Wednesday. “I had corresponded with him for a couple of years prior to the Homecoming and I thought he was a very nice and charming man. He truly enjoyed learning more about our community and his family’s role in its creation.”
Mayor David Raven echoed Cathy English’s comments.
” I am saddened by the news of the passing of Lord Revelstoke and wish to extend the sympathy of the entire communtiy to the family he leaves behind,” he said. “James Baring visited the city in 2009 during which we spent many enjoyable hours together discussing the city and his very colourfull life. We wish the new Lord Revelstoke all the best and hope that he too will visit our fair city in the near future.”
The former RAF pilot impressed Revelstokians with his charm and sense of humour and a number responded by writing their thoughts in the online Guest Book. You can read his thank-you to the people of Revelstoke, here, and you can view photos from that visit below:
