OBITUARIES
TONY McGRAIL FIIMS OBITUARY
Anthony McGrail, my friend and colleague
By Keith Willis MIIMS
I first met Tony in 2002 at Sunseeker in Poole where I was a warranty engineer at the time, just transferred back to Poole from Mallorca. It was a chance meeting between us, and it was Tony’s infectiously ‘happy to meet you’, openness and charisma that got us talking. I was not happy with my lot that day, a trade-in vessel with heaps of issues and no time to fix them because the Surveyor was due to arrive - yes you guessed it, Tony. Well we got on like a house on fire and we laughed and chatted as we both worked on the same vessel.
I was intrigued as to how people started a career in surveying so being a blunt person, I asked Tony how one gets into surveying, not really expecting him to be so positive about my question. But he told me the process and said that I really should consider taking up marine surveying as a career; so after work we had a beer on Poole Quay and talked it through. His honesty and enthusiasm for the IIMS as the only group of surveyors worth joining was infectious and here, 17 years later, I am following a career I love having met some great people on the way thanks to Tony.
Tony was a constant, always positive, even about things he wasn’t positive about and I suspect that like me, a lot of the IIMS members welcomed the sight of his face at meetings and events as you were always guaranteed some humour and a good chat. In this industry we all tend to work as individuals, but Tony was always there on the phone if you needed him. I gave up trying to email him many years ago!
38 | The Report • September 2019 • Issue 89
My last meeting with Tony recently was at the same yard where we met 17 years ago, and despite being obviously not well and very candid about his condition, the mischievous twinkle was still there. We had a laugh over a snack and cuppa at Asda. I had no idea that would be the last time I would see Tony, but his character, humour and enthusiasm will remain strong in my memory for ever.
The Institute has a lot to thank Tony for and I have a lot to thank Tony for!
Once met never forgotten. Keith Willis MIIMS
In the past couple of months news has reached IIMS Head Quarters of the death of two long standing members. IIMS would like to pass on their condolences to the families of both surveyors...
Other facts of interest about Tony as discovered on his Facebook page: - Tony described himself as a yacht surveyor by day and a musician by night
- He was a vocalist, songwriter and played guitar
- He graduated with a degree from St Mary’s London in 1978
- Tony restored Bloodhound (the classic sailing yacht previously owned by Prince Philip) between 2004 – 2008
- He fronted his band The Funkaholics, founded in 2008 and they completed a 13-track album called “We found the Funk” in 2011
- Tony wrote a book called “Holyshire” which was based on his remarkable late father’s life
- He was thrilled to have finished a long standing project to build a Caterham type kit car
- Tony was an ardent Manchester United fan since his early childhood
Tony was a long standing and proud member of IIMS and is survived by his wife Cindy and their three children.
And finally Tony’s memory will live on through a video of the Funkaholics playing live at a festival which can be found on YouTube at
https://bit.ly/2Yp4pmr.
Rest in peace Tony McGrail (1953 – 2019).
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88
