Obituary: Farmer and a keen sportsman (From Witney Gazette)

Obituary: Farmer and a keen sportsman

12:20pm Thursday 21st February 2008 in Witney By David Horne

A MAN who loved farming, but was also a keen sportsman and genial host, has died at the age of 82.

Pat Florey was born at Rectory Farm, Northmoor, and apart from early years as a farmer at Church Farm, Aston, spent virtually all his life there.

He was a player for the City of Oxford and county hockey teams, and Oxford Downs and South Oxfordshire Amateurs cricket clubs.

His son, Robert Florey, who farms Rectory Farm, paid tribute to him as 'quite a character, who had a smile and a welcome for everyone he met'.

The family has farmed in the Standlake area for more than 400 years, and Mr Florey took over the tenancy of Rectory Farm from his own father in 1960, buying it from St John's College ten years later. It runs to 400 acres of arable land and a beef herd.

His son added: "Farming was in his blood, he loved it.

"He and my mother were married for 58 years, and they were well-known for their hospitality and dinner parties. He was a genial host."

Mr Florey's father started the Oxford Downs cricket club, at Standlake, with the Pickford family, and he himself went on to play for them, including captaincy. He also became president of the South Oxon Amateurs in its golden jubilee year of 1983.

The family connection with the Downs continues with his son and two grandchildren playing for them.

For the past 15 months, Mr Florey was cared for at Meadow View home, in Standlake, where, his son said, he was very well looked after.

He leaves a wife, Marion, sons Tom and Robert, daughter Frances, and seven grandchildren.

A service of thanksgiving is to be held at St Denys' Church, Northmoor, where Mr Florey was a churchwarden for 26 years, on March 8, at 3pm.