It is with so much sadness that I announce that Captain(E) Laurie Anastasi RFA(Retd), crossed the bar on the 7th February 2015, he was 79.
Laurie’s funeral will take place at 13:00 on Friday 27th February 2015 at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, West Monkseaton (HERE for their website and HERE for a map) followed by interrment at Whitley Bay Cemetary at 14:15(HERE for their website and HERE for a map). Cars are permitted to drive into the cemetary and close to the graveside.
Family flowers only please but donations, if desired, can be made in lieu to McMillan Support (HERE for their website).
Afterwards at the Tynemouth Golf Club, Spital Dene, Tynmouth (HERE for their website and HERE for a map)
On behalf of the RFA Association I offer our sincere condolences to his widow Joan, sons Andrew and Mark and all his family.
It must be remembered that Laurie and his wife Joan were not only founder members of the RFA Association but were intrumental in it’s creation with Rex and Pat Cooper, Jim and Meg Foster, Connie Constantine and Angus Paterson, to name a few.
If you have a remembrance of Laurie please email it to me at deputy.chairman@rfaa.uk and I will post them on this page. I am also looking for photographs of Laurie for this piece and the RFA Association Galery and Archive, If you have one please email it to me.
Rex Cooper writes:- Deeply saddened to report that Laurie Anastasi crossed the bar this morning. Laurie was a stalwart of the RFA Reunion movement and he and Joan were part of the original steering committee that met at RFA Tarset in June 1998, and from which in due course the RFA Association emerged four years later. Sadly we are a very small group now. No further details yet but the funeral would be very likely in Whitley Bay. Deepest sympathies to Joan and their sons. RIP
Pat Thompson writes:- I sailed with Laurie in Orangeleaf on the WIGS Patrol back in 1992/3. On our way home we were diverted into the Mediterranean and called into Gibraltar en route. Laurie paid off there into retirement. He was a great shipmate and a great asset to me, I was a “baby captain” and he was a very experienced Chief Engineer. I valued his counsel.