Tony Fell (10 January 1940 to 07 October 2024) was a one-off who spent his life doing his best to help others. It was a privilege to have known him and to have had him as a friend for so many years. Already he is sadly missed as a fond husband, father and grandfather.
As a seafarer, Tony pretty much covered the world and he sailed with many different companies, with particularly good memories of Bibby Line.
A Union member since 1963, he first joined the Radio Officers' Union – a predecessor of Nautilus International. As an elected Council member, he put a lot of effort into furthering the development of radio officers by enhancing technical training and expanding the job to make it more viable to the ship and the ship owners.
He was one of the group who renamed the organisation the Radio and Electronic Officers' Union to better represent the changes they tried so hard to achieve. The International SOLAS Radio Watchkeeping Hours were amended as a part of this to enable his colleagues to do more maintenance within normal work hours.
Tony regularly picked up on members' individual problems and did his best to have them resolved. What you saw was what you got with him, and if you were in trouble he was the guy to have on your side. When he retired from the sea and later his oil industry life, he continued this side of his personality by volunteering in his local community, and was one of the co-founders of the North Wales Branch of the Merchant Navy Association.
So farewell Tony, smooth seas and Zephyrus breezes on your final long voyage.
Mike Ridehalgh
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