Ted Milkins RIP
Edward Milkins, who was for many years the senior professional officer at the University of Bristol Union (his official title was "Permanent Secretary") died on Wednesday, rich in years and after a long and fulfilled life.
The Union at Bristol is a major organisation and the responsibilities of running it over most of the time Ted was Permanent Secretary included managing a six story building which contained two restaurants, at least two shops, half a dozen bars and dozens of large and small meeting rooms, including a fully-equipped theatre. The union employed IIRC about a hundred full-time and part-time staff, and catered to nearly two hundred affiliated or recognised societies. At the time I was treasurer the union had a turnover of around a million pounds a year and the University had just over 7,000 full time students all of whom were automatically members of the Union.
There were a large team of students elected to run various aspects of the union, particularly about five (the number varied over Ted's time in office) full-time paid "Sabbatical officers" who took a year off between or after their studies to carry out these roles.
Being a sabbatical was a huge responsibility for someone who would have been at most 24 years old as I can testify from experience and any wise sabbatical officer paid a great deal of attention to the advice given by the union's senior professional advisors, particularly Ted. The elected officers made the policy decisions and did actually carry out a lot of the detailed administration but it was Ted who kept the show on the road.
I can also testify that Ted guided generations of young, idealistic but often naïve student union officers with considerable kindness, patience, good humour, compassion and wisdom to make far better decisions than might otherwise have been taken, and that any union officer with the ability to listen learned a great deal from him.
Ted Milkin's son Clive wrote of his father:
"He died very peacefully at home with his family around him. In the end it was a blessed release to be honest and I know that he is in the arms of God alongside Mum, which is where he has wanted to be since Mum died less than two years ago.
The funeral will be at St Stephen’s Soundwell, Bristol on the 22nd January at 1.15pm. No flowers, but a donation to St Peter’s Hospice would be a fitting tribute to Dad’s memory and the care and support he received in his final weeks."
Rest in Peace.
The Union at Bristol is a major organisation and the responsibilities of running it over most of the time Ted was Permanent Secretary included managing a six story building which contained two restaurants, at least two shops, half a dozen bars and dozens of large and small meeting rooms, including a fully-equipped theatre. The union employed IIRC about a hundred full-time and part-time staff, and catered to nearly two hundred affiliated or recognised societies. At the time I was treasurer the union had a turnover of around a million pounds a year and the University had just over 7,000 full time students all of whom were automatically members of the Union.
There were a large team of students elected to run various aspects of the union, particularly about five (the number varied over Ted's time in office) full-time paid "Sabbatical officers" who took a year off between or after their studies to carry out these roles.
Being a sabbatical was a huge responsibility for someone who would have been at most 24 years old as I can testify from experience and any wise sabbatical officer paid a great deal of attention to the advice given by the union's senior professional advisors, particularly Ted. The elected officers made the policy decisions and did actually carry out a lot of the detailed administration but it was Ted who kept the show on the road.
I can also testify that Ted guided generations of young, idealistic but often naïve student union officers with considerable kindness, patience, good humour, compassion and wisdom to make far better decisions than might otherwise have been taken, and that any union officer with the ability to listen learned a great deal from him.
Ted Milkin's son Clive wrote of his father:
"He died very peacefully at home with his family around him. In the end it was a blessed release to be honest and I know that he is in the arms of God alongside Mum, which is where he has wanted to be since Mum died less than two years ago.
The funeral will be at St Stephen’s Soundwell, Bristol on the 22nd January at 1.15pm. No flowers, but a donation to St Peter’s Hospice would be a fitting tribute to Dad’s memory and the care and support he received in his final weeks."
Rest in Peace.
Comments
He many never have delivered a lecture or taught a seminar but Ted was one of the best teachers at the University.
I have had messages about Ted from a number of former Bristol colleagues, most recently from Jacek Miotla. I gather that several former Union officers including Jacek, David Gottlieb, Peter Golding, and Russell Pyne attended Ted's funeral yesterday.
Jacek wrote that it was a sad occasion "but celebrated Ted's life and many talents of which I for one was unaware.
Peter had the privilege of seeing Ted just before Christmas and spoke of his continued charm and good nature so close to his passing. He will be missed by many but his good deeds will live on in our memory."
He will indeed be missed, and he will indeed live on in our memories.