Richard Hornidge

ANDOVER — Richard Hornidge, 92, of Andover, died Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2007. He led a full and adventurous life.

Born in Ireland in 1915, he spent his childhood as an only child living at Tulfarris, a Hornidge estate with many acres of farmland. In the early 1700s, land in Ireland was given to English men who supported Cromwell, and these English families were known as the Anglo-Irish. It was during this time that the first Hornidge came to inhabit Tulfarris.

When Richard was a young adult the farm and house were sold. Breaking the Hornidge tradition that had lasted over 200 years seemed a tragedy, but the estate was no longer supportable. During Richard's childhood, the Irish Civil War was in full swing. IRA soldiers, who wanted complete independence from England, burned down his grandmother's home, Tinode, but they drank tea in the Hornidge kitchen knowing Katie, the cook, would allow them to stay rather than to have Tulfarris burned.

Richard recognized many of the IRA soldiers as they were faithful workers on the Hornidge farm, and some of their children were his friends. Confused by where his loyalties should lie, it took until adulthood for his dilemma to be resolved. His heritage was Anglo-Irish, but his heart was with the Irish in his home country. As a child, Richard was educated by his nannies at Tulfarris. At the young age of 9 years-old, he was sent to Castle Park boarding school in Ireland after which he attended the Oundle preparatory school in England where he specialized in science, a subject Richard greatly enjoyed.

After preparatory school, he followed in his father's footsteps by enrolling in Cambridge University and choosing Trinity Hall as his residents. "The Hall" was known for its top rowing records. His father received the high honor of becoming a "Blue" which meant rowing with the crew that represented the entire university. Richard, himself, set a record in sculling that has never been broken even to this day. Richard graduated with honors from Cambridge University with a degree in mechanical engineering, and because jobs in his field were more available in the United States, he decided to join his two uncles in California.

After several years of working as an engineer, he was admitted to Stanford University where he earned a master's degree in mechanical engineering. Since he spent many years in England, and England was so drastically involved in World War II, he was compelled to join the Merchant Marines with which he sailed up and down the Pacific Coast. Following the war, he taught at the Maritime Academy in Alameda, Calif. Skiing in the Sierras became his recreation, as well as the place where he met his wife, Marta Travis. They married and had two children, Richard Jr., and Patricia, and then moved east, finally settling in Andover where they have lived for 57 years. During that time, Richard worked as an engineer, started several successful businesses, and wrote Tulfarris, a book telling the story of his unusual childhood in Ireland.

The Hornidge family belonged to the North Andover Country Club, a local book club, the Appalachian Mountain Club and AVIS (Andover Village Improvement Society). For many years Richard and his wife were wardens of the Skug Reservation, clearing trails, and in his best engineering fashion, building a sturdy bridge across the Skug River, which is today named for him. Living within an easy commute to the ocean, sailing became his passion. With the help of various crews, he sailed around Newfoundland several times and even reached Labrador.

He taught his children and grandchildren, Jessica and Jonathan to sail, and they thought it a great honor to be chosen as crew. They will always have fond memories of whales following their boat, of weathering storms so fierce that no other boats would leave the port and of the fun they had playing with French-speaking children when they sailed to the Magdalen Islands. Skiing and sailing were not Richard's only hobbies, with his wife, he visited all seven continents, biking, kayaking, hiking and cross-country skiing. Richard's life was full.