Colonel A Munro TD

Obituary for Colonel A Munro TD

Col Alan Munro TD, a former Commandant of Suffolk ACF, died on 9 December 2007, aged 80. Tributes have been paid to a ‘kind, energetic man who loved life and would do anything for anybody’. Although he was probably best known in Bury St Edmunds as the former head postmaster of the town’s post office, Col Munro was also involved in a number of clubs and organisations, including the Rotary Club, East Anglia Parachute Regimental Association, Post Office Veterans, the Fellowship of Head Post Masters and Friends of Kevelaer, Bury’s twin town in Germany.

His wife Sue, 55, said: “He always had everybody in tears with laughter. He was an excellent organiser. Someone wrote on a card: Wherever he is, he will be organising something. He was always busy doing something. He loved life – he was one of a kind – a real character. There was quite an age gap between us and someone once asked why I was married to him. I said because it was never boring. He was always on the go, doing something, telling me about something he had done or someone he had met. It’s amazing how many people he knew. He was very much an outside person and very sociable”.

As a Friend of Kevelaer, twin town of Bury St Edmunds, and with the help of RAF Honington, he managed to export a traditional style telephone box to the German city.

Col Munro retired 20 years ago but kept very active, working out in the gym five times a week, as well as enjoying walking in the Lake District.

After his WW2 service ended in 1949 with the 5th Scottish Parachute Battalion, Col Munro served with two TA regiments, rising to second in command of the 2nd Bn Lancastrian Volunteers and later as the Commanding Officer of the 4th Volunteer Battalion, Queen’s Lancashire Regiment. Alan was President of the Rotary Club of Bury St Edmunds 1994-5 and latterly Attendance Officer.

Col Munro also represented the Army as a marksman in rifle contests across Europe and America.

He is survived by his wife Sue and children Andrew, Richard and Deborah. To Sue and the family, we send our regrets at the passing of a fine man.

With acknowledgement to Paul Bloomfield of the Bury Free Press newspaper.

JLR