Glyn, Dad and affectionately known as ‘Pop’ to so many, was born 23rd November 1941, first child to Eirwyn & Dilys Rowlands. He spent his early years living at ‘Williams’ family home, Wellington Villas in Bury shared with many of his Mum’s siblings and where his sister Janet was born. He was nearly 10 before they moved to their own family home on Bolton Road. Glyn always spoke fondly about his childhood, full of outdoor adventures around Elton Reservoir & Wellington Barracks, blessed with lots of friends from School, Youth clubs & various sports clubs.
Glyn was christened at Bolton Road Methodist Church, where his Mother willingly took the ‘pledge’ on his behalf ….in other words, a life of ‘sobriety’…… well that clearly didn’t last!!
When it came to education, Glyn thoroughly enjoyed his school days, attending Alderman Smith’s, St Stephen’s & then Church Central, now Bury Church School.
Good behaviour, respect & exceptional manners were instilled into him from a tender age, qualities & standards which defined him and ensured his school record was always exemplary.
There was, however, one misdemeanour often referenced, it was the time he & his mate challenged one another, the fastest to scale the veranda roof during playtime, he caused quite a commotion. Glyn thought he had got away with it until his mother marched into the headmaster’s office – early to bed with no tea was his punishment.
He excelled in all academic subjects however Geography was his passion as his father was a lifelong Merchant Seaman. When letters arrived home from his Dad, he would plot the destinations on his world map, proudly mounted on his bedroom wall.
Glyn was also an accomplished Artist; he won many prizes and received a scholarship to art college in his final school year. Despite his obvious talent he was encouraged to seek a ‘proper trade’ which was very much the parental attitude of his generation.
Sadly Janet, Glyn’s younger sister in New Zealand, cannot be here today, but she wanted to recount some fond memories of him. She states that Glyn was always a wonderful brother, 5 years her senior, he always looked out for her. Their Mum often insisted Janet should accompany him, out & about with his mates. Despite Glyn being somewhat embarrassed & very reluctant, he always agreed & Janet loved the time spent with big brother & his friends. He taught her many life skills but being Glyn, they were always practical and or protective. To keep her safe at school he taught her a form of ‘self-defensive’ which came in handy against any form of bullying. He also randomly taught how to fire his air rifle. The clear instruction was to squeeze the trigger & not to ‘pull’ to achieve the best aim, making her an awesome shot! Following her emigration to New Zealand in ‘74, early comms consisted of infrequent ‘airmail’ letters and a token phone call on Christmas Day lasting only moments due to the enormous cost. Through the decades, the joys of social media enabled so much more interaction, which brother & sister enjoyed no end. In Janet’s own words….  I’m heartbroken to lose my wonderful brother, he was & will always remain my absolute hero.
Glyn’s sporting prowess was without question one of his most recognised attributes. Where does one begin. He achieved at the highest levels in all Sports, Athletics, Football, Cricket, Gymnastics & swimming. Top marks in PE followed him all through school, the sporting prizes & accolades came flooding too…. Top Sports Student, Prize for best Sports’ Captain as well as being selected for Bury Schools Athletics team, where he won the Regional High Jump championship, a title replicated years later, by his youngest daughter, Lisa, with a very proud Dad watching on the side-line.
Most people of a certain generation will recall Glyn’s exceptional talent on the football field. However, you may not know when selected to represent Bury Schools, he came up against the legendary Nobby Stiles of Man United & England 1966 world cup team. 
Nobby, was then playing for the opposition, Manchester School boys. One of Glyn’s teammates spotted the rather small chap with jam-jar bottomed glasses alight from the away coach and sniggered ‘’I’ll mark him’’ sadly a move he was later to regret, bitter defeat followed with Nobby scoring most of the goals. His football playing days continued representing Bury FC Juniors, Bolton Road Meths, then playing semi-professional for Nelson FC in Lancashire Combination League.
Glyn’s ultimate ambition was to follow in his father’s footsteps by joining the Merchant Navy to see the world in all its splendour. His father, whilst being supportive of his intentions insisted, he master a ‘trade’ first in order to elevate his entry into the service.
So, aged 15, Glyn commenced his Engineering Apprenticeship. He was employed by Walmsley’s in Elton, a firm with around 600 staff, specialising in the construction of machinery for Paper manufacturers all over the world. The role offered good structure which Glyn always appreciated, excellent salary and first-class prospects. He worked through every department over 6 years, these were long challenging days. One full day & 3 nights per week he studied at Bury Technical College to complete the arduous Engineering qualifications, which is where he met his lifelong pal, fellow footballer & avid LFC fan John Rostron.
Glyn always remembered his mentor, Roland Smith who taught him ‘on the job’ engineering practices, assisted him with Tech homework as well as imparting some long-life advice…
 Always listen to the people with experience…. whether you use it or not.  Form your own opinions &  Always be respectful, which as you know he always remained.
Glyn’s conscientious approach to work & study paid off and he achieved the notable Top Apprentice Award. This recognition, spearheaded several invaluable placements, working within paper mills across Europe but most significantly leading Paper mills in Sweden & Norway. These opportunities were unheard of amongst his peer group, creating memories which stayed with him throughout his lifetime.
Upon completion of his apprenticeship, Glyn finally applied to The Merchant Navy & was accepted as a Marine Engineering Officer. He attended Marine College, in Liverpool, now John Moore’s University, where he started his lifetime love affair with Liverpool Football Club.
And so his sea-faring years commenced, travelling extensively all over the world. His longest draft was on the beautiful Queen of Bermuda, Cruise Liner, sailing from Florida, New York through to Bermuda & the Caribbean islands.  
Football still featured heavily, and he captained teams for various ship’s companies. Whilst serving on the Queen, his team won the prestigious Atlantic Cup an international competition played against various ships companies, whilst docked in New York.
Sadly, his Naval career came to an abrupt end, when his father became poorly & sadly passed away. Glyn realised his place was back home looking after his Mum & Janet. He returned to Bury & soon found a position with Warburton Engineering as a Component Inspector.  From there, he joined East Street Engineers; a firm established by his Uncle. The contracting work was varied, and Glyn found himself travelling across the UK working in Paper Mills on installations & maintenance with a great band of muckers, Eddie Bailey, Mick Thorpe, cousin Eric & several more partners in crime, plenty of high jinks & fun amongst the long shifts.
On one such contract, working at Crompton’s in Lydney, Glyn and his mates were invited to a party where he bumped into a beautiful lady, our Gwyneth. After ignoring him several times, she eventually agreed to a date & their happy ever after life began months later when they married …. She remained the love of his life until his last breath.
 So, the Rowlands family story began, Hayley, Steven & Lisa, first living on Ainsworth Rd before moving to their ‘Lowercroft’ home in 1982. It was a busy household full of fun, frolics and obviously the odd drama along the way. Glyn was hard working, often away from home for weeks on end to provide for the family. He eventually considered a local position & joined the staff at Stubbins Paper Mill in Ramsbottom. Having contracted in the Mill for years prior to his appointment, his extensive knowledge of the machinery was invaluable, by all accounts he was highly regarded & although management, everyone concluded Deano, after Dean Martin was a great gaffer. He remained at Stubbins until his official retirement at 65, took a week’s break and then returned to the stores until his final exit at age 70.
As a father, Glyn was strong, fun-loving, strict but fair at the same time. He adored his family & was deeply devoted to Gwyn and the extended clan. Family parties were a constant, so many happy times shared with Glyn’s favourite Auntie Enid & Jack. Gwyn’s parents regularly made the trip to Bury to spend fun times with the grandchildren and their much-loved son in law. There were memorable childhood holidays, staying in static caravans across Devon, Cornwall, Wales & the Lake District, many of which were shared with close cousins Mar & Gord, Lou & Claire, all were happy times, often quite eventful & still receive a mention today.
Christmas was a magical time in the young Rowlands household. Gwyn & Glyn ensuring family traditions were upheld year in year out. So much laughter, lots of speeches, great musical renditions, the customary fully stocked bar with many a tipple being consumed. These beautiful memories providing the foundation of present Christmas days, still enormously enjoyed & now replicated through the younger generations.
As the Rowlands children matured, the family ethos of anything is possible, if you put your mind to it & try your best was truly instilled. Glyn’s disciplines, standards, and his overarching values evident in each of his children. In his own quiet way, he was immensely proud …. proud of career successes, proud of the loving parents they became & ultimately happy to see his children confident enough to follow their dreams.
Glyn was delighted when Steve decided to follow in his Naval footsteps and join the RN. Many times, after a few drinkies & ‘another one for the road’ they would swap tales of life at sea. Glyn regaling memories of balmy days cruising the Caribbean, complete with full officer comforts, pillows fluffed up & crumbs dusted away by stewards. Meanwhile Steve recalled mainly serving in the North Atlantic, on a grey tin can, sharing a mess with 30 hairy ‘bottomed’ matelots and charged with chasing Russian Submarines in a Force 13… Clearly the ‘ocean’ was the only common denominator.
 
In true maritime style, it seems appropriate to share one of Steve’s favourite ‘Dits’ – that’s a story or tale to us non-sea-faring folk. When Steve served under the Royal Naval Command Field Gun, Glyn became one of their biggest fans. On one of his many trips down South. Glyn went to watch Steve train with his crew at HMS Excellent, Whale Island. Glyn was cordially invited to join the crew on their night out ashore. Gwyneth believing, he was in safe hands, allowed him a passage out.
So as not to spoil a good story, being very economical with the truth the facts are as follows.
Firstly, Glyn was mistaken for a Royal Marines Commando, at some point he ended up losing a tooth. He managed to get thrown out of Pizza Hut and spent a few hours in Portsmouth prison! So clearly the narrative has changed, but all the above certainly happened.
 
This tribute would not be complete without reference to the special memories captured over numerous holidays. In fact, ‘Holiday’ should have been his middle name. Glyn was at his happiest when a vacation was in the planning. He was the epitome of a sun worshiper, first down for the best sunbeds, frequently seen parading around the pool, mahogany coloured, shorts rolled up as high as possible for the best ‘backs of legs’ tan. At his happiest enjoying long lazy days punctuated with liquid refreshment depending on the sun’s position on the yardarm! All can be verified by dearest friends from the Rhodes gang, many who are here today, special times, treasured lasting memories.
France brought many pleasures too. Glyn treasured the quality time spent holidaying with Lisa’s young family in Mar & Gord’s holiday home. Special bonds were formed with the grandchildren, days were full of sporting activities, adventure walks, swimming, star gazing, Pop always imparting his wealth of general knowledge even sharing a smattering of French phrases.
Then came the Canaries, when Hayley bought her first Timeshare back in the 90s. Glyn thought she’d lost the plot, making such a ‘rogue’ investment. He soon changed his mind after his first visit. Monte Anfi in Gran Canaria became a firm favourite & a second home to Glyn, Gwyn & Hayley visiting every year for the last 23. So many beautiful memories, some crazy ‘happy hours’ shared with our Anfi friends & many a night cap shared, sitting on the balcony under the stars…… looking out to sea.
Glyn finally returned to cruising, almost 50 years on, when 4th generation Rowlands, Bethany took to seas like her Dad, Pop & Great grandfather before her. Glyn was in his element back on top deck, this time enjoying the passenger comforts. He was so proud to see her fulfil her teenage dreams. The Caribbean, New York, Miami welcomed him back with open arms & he loved those special memories made.
So, we close this tribute to Glyn by acknowledging the youngest generation, his beloved grandchildren who affectionately named him ‘Pop.’ He adored each & everyone one & boy was he proud of every achievement. Over his last days, as poorly as he was, the grandchildren’s visits brought hope, a glint to his tired eyes & a warm smile.  Always remember he will live on in all of us. Go forward with Pop’s love & blessings & continue to make him Proud. 
 Glyn always said the sea never leaves you, so calm seas & followings winds Pop.    
 You will certainly never walk alone and thanks to you neither will we.