It is with huge sadness that we announce the death of Old Viking William Yeates (15B), aged just 24.
William was at Shiplake for five years between 2010 and 2015 and was a very popular member of Burr House.
We are extremely grateful to William’s cousin Michael for helping us with the following tribute.
Born on 9 February 1997 in Guildford, William attended Cranmore Preparatory School in Surrey, between the ages of 3 and 13. It was here that he first started playing rugby, rowing, playing the clarinet, skiing and was selected for swim squad.
With a group of school friends he joined the minis at Effingham Rugby Club. William liked Effingham’s old school approach to rugby, playing in all weathers, cheering the opposition, win or lose and the annual tours to the West Country.
William was a big chap, 6 feet by the age of twelve, 6 foot 4 by his mid-teens. At Cranmore, he was picked out as a rower and was a natural. Tall and strong, he would find his rhythm and developed a good stroke.
William joined Shiplake College as a Burr House weekly boarder in 2010, talented in both rugby and rowing he was in his element at Shiplake. He represented the College by rowing at the prestigious National Schools’ Regatta, and other big regattas on the schools’ circuit. He was also pleased to win his first ‘pot’ at Bedford regatta, although that occasion nearly turned to disaster when his shoes, left on the riverbank, were pinched while he was rowing. William found the culprit, a small boy, wearing the size 12s like a pair of flippers!
William embraced the Shiplake ethos, firmly based on Christian principles, and did his best to live up to it. William was Confirmed at Shiplake and served as a Chapel Warden. He would stand up for peers and younger boys, as well as standing up for himself. He had a strong sense of right and wrong and he took responsibility for his own actions which earned him respect.
William enjoyed a good argument but was never troubled by a shortage of facts. He was proud to be one of the Burr House team that won the inaugural Shiplake debating contest. William spoke with a force and passion that silenced the room and carried the evening.
Academically, William was good at some subjects, but struggled with others. He liked classroom banter and finding new approaches to topics, even winning a Philosophy prize, which his family say came as a surprise! Through hard work and with the support of his teachers, he passed his GCSEs and A levels, gaining a place at Swansea University.
Before studying for his degree at Swansea, William embarked on a gap year in Australia and was able to combine his passion of surfing with work, by spending some of the time in between travelling working as a surf instructor.
Upon his return to the UK, aged just 19, William suffered a near fatal aortic aneurysm which turned his world upside down. The surgeons and staff at Morriston Hospital saved his life, and he spent three months there in recovery. He attempted to resume his studies but had to undergo a second operation the following year.
He knew how lucky he was to still be alive and battled hard to try and complete his university studies but understandably found this difficult. His friends became an important support network for him, and the university was also very helpful and encouraging. William enjoyed the full support of his family, especially his parents and his younger brother Alexander. William’s resolve did not waiver and he hoped to finish his degree and one day become a History teacher.
William passed away on Tuesday 14 December 2021. Floods of messages from across the globe have been received by the family, attesting that William was a kind, caring and much-loved young man.
A funeral was held for William on Wednesday 12 January 2022. Several former classmates attended, along with some current and former Shiplake staff.
Our heartfelt condolences go out to William’s family and friends.
