Thanks for visiting our team fundraising page. On Armed Forces Day, 28th June, a team of Old Gordonians will be cycling from Woolwich to China House at Gordons School in memory of Gary Graham, Rich Rees and Joe Payne.
Gary, Rich & Joe all attended Gordons School between 1977 and 1982. Gary was in China House and Rich and Joe were in Woolwich. They all played in the school’s 1st XI football side and can be seen together in the team photo on our team fundraising page.
It is now over 30 years since they left Gordons but their many friends will never forget Rich, Gary and Joe for their contributions to enriching our school lives, their competitiveness when we played alongside them in school teams or their sense of fun and sportsmanship when we played against them in inter-house matches.
Gary left Gordons in 1982 and spent a year in the Metropolitan Police before joining the Army (REME) in June 1984 and fighting in the 1st Gulf War. In 1994, he was diagnosed with Osteo-Sarcoma of the spine and had surgery to remove the Tumor but he succumbed to the effect of the disease on May 20th 1996.
Rich left Gordons in 1981 and also had a distinguished military career, becoming a Squadron Leader in the RAF. He also lost his battle against cancer in 2005.
Joe Payne also left Gordons in 1981 and built his own business, employing 6 people. A keen rugby enthusiast, Joe coached the Thanet Wanderers U14’s team and continued to play for the club. It was during a match for the club on 20th October 2012 that Joe suffered a cardiac arrest.
Rich and Gary are remembered annually at Gordons through the presentation of the Rees-Graham Sport Cup for the top sporting house at the School.
Old school friends participate in sporting challenges to raise funds for charities associated with Rich, Gary and Joe in memory of our old school friends who we sadly lost far too soon.
Please give generously in their memory.
