Captain Ian William Collister
Our thanks to Malcolm Coomer for notify SCARA of the recent death of Captain Ian William Collister and to Mike Chapman for co-ordinating the tribute posted on the PONL Heritage website (below).
Captain Collister died on the 4th September and his funeral took place on the Isle of Man 13th September. We offer our sincere condolences to his wife and family.
Belinda McCormack
SCARA Membership Secretary
25/09/2023
We have received the sad news of the passing of SCARA member Captain Ian William Collister from his friend, Malcolm Coomer.
Ian Collister was born in July 1935 in Douglas on the Isle of Man. He joined the Merchant Navy aged 16 in 1951 and pursued a career as a deck officer with Alfred Holt/Blue Funnel, gaining his Master Mariner's certificate in 1962. He transferred to Overseas Containers Limited (OCL) as a chief officer and sailed as master on various company vessels including the Osaka Bay, Kowloon Bay and Providence Bay.
Ian retired from P&O Containers in 1995 but retained his interest in the sea as a regular member of the crew of a boat based on the Isle of Man which took part in twice-weekly local races. In retirement, Ian and his wife Diana very much enjoyed taking cruise holidays. He was also a very keen walker in the Manx countryside and at one point was an archaeological guide at Rushen Abbey.
Ian’s funeral took place at Douglas Borough Crematorium on the Isle of Man on Wednesday 13 September 2023. On the left is a recording of the funeral service which includes a eulogy from another good friend of his, Captain John Peterson. An abbreviated excerpt from the description that accompanies the YouTube recording is quoted below:
"Captain Ian William Collister of Colby passed away peacefully on Monday 4th September 2023 at the age of 88 at Noble’s Hospital, surrounded by his family. Beloved husband for 62 years and best friend of Di (Diana), much loved father of Mel and Mike and his partner Jane, proud Grandad to Jim and his wife Valentina, Great Grandfather (Humpty) of Jilliann... Dearly loved by his sister Kay and his nephew and three nieces, and his brother in law Jo."
Anyone who would like to make a donation in Ian's memory is invited to do so with the suggested charity recipients being Hospice Isle of Man, Southern Befrienders and/or Parkinson’s Research UK."
In addition to a few words from Malcolm, when some of Captain Collister's former sea staff and FMD colleagues were contacted they provided their recollections:
Malcolm Coomer (Southampton terminal): "I first met Ian when he was Chief Officer and I was working in the Southampton OCL Terminal office back in the 70's. My wife was born and brought up in the Isle of Man so we had something in common. Ian and Di liked cruising and we met them on many occasions when they sailed and arrived back in Southampton. We also spent time with them when we visited the Island."
Dave Kelsall (2OR and FMD): "I remember Capt Collister as one of the best - good-humoured, competent, fair and sober at a time when not all of our old men ticked all those boxes!"
Bob James (2OL and FMD): "Unfortunately never sailed with Ian but do remember him when he visited the office for his pre voyage meeting, he would come and sit at my desk and talk about his family and leave then he would discuss his next crew. He never had a bad word to say for anyone appointed to his ship a true gentleman."
Captain Ken Owen (master): "Ian Collister was a particularly good friend of mine. We first met in 1951 when we were both at the Outward Bound Sea School at Aberdovey, prior to becoming Midshipmen in the Blue Funnel Line. We sailed together on the ketch ‘Warspite’ at that time. We both attended College at the same time in Liverpool when studying for our various Certificates, both achieving Master’s in 1962. Ian suffered from a very serious accident when he was Chief Officer and mooring a Blue Funnel ship in Birkenhead’. He was on the focsle head when a mooring line snapped , wrapped round his arm ,flung him in the air, and broke his hip as he was flung against a bollard. He told me that the worst part was being carried ashore , as the ship’s fore deck was full of deck cargo. It was feared at the time that he would lose the use of both arm and leg, but the Liverpool hospital performed wonders, and within months he was back at sea. We both joined OCL at the same time and eventually the ‘Bengal Enterprise’ became our first command. The last time we met was at a SCARA reunion Lunch in London. I shall miss him, and always be grateful for having known him so well".
We would like to pass on our deepest sympathies to Ian's wife Diana, his family and his friends.
19/09/2023
Updated 24/09/2023