A FORMER company commander of the IW Army Cadet Force, Andrew Colleypriest, has died, aged 55.
Mr Colleypriest was born in Wootton, on June 25, 1953.
He attended Pell Lane primary, Swanmore middle and Ryde high schools before joining the British Army Junior Leaders’ Regiment, aged 16.
After becoming a regimental Sgt Maj, Mr Colleypriest joined the Royal Corps of Transport, serving in the Outer Hebrides and Northern Ireland.
He joined the IW Army Cadet Force in 1982 and went on to become a company commander, based at Drill Hall, Newport.
During his time, he raised a lot of money for the organisation and many other Island charities and was awarded a Queen’s Jubilee Medal for outstanding contribution to the service.
Before moving to France in 2001, Mr Colleypriest lived in New Barn Road, East Cowes, with his wife, Sara, where he started a Neighbourhood Watch scheme for the New Barn and Osborne area.
His other interests included abseiling and rock climbing.
Mr Colleypriest loved spending time with his family.
He leaves wife, Sara, children, Danial and Kiri, and mother, Joyce.
His funeral was held in France on May 13.