The University has been saddened to learn of the death of Colonel Robert Hornby, who started work at Warwick in 1967 as a Development Officer. He fundraised for some of Warwick’s earliest buildings, and went on to be responsible for the University’s press and media relations in the 1960s and early 1970s. Robert died peacefully late last week; he was in his nineties.

Before coming to Warwick, Robert served in India and Burma during the Second World War. In 1949 he joined the Public Relations Directorate at the War Office. In 1957 he was promoted to Colonel and became Director of Public Relations, Far East Land Forces. Three years later he retired to become Chief Information Officer to the Church Assembly and Public Relations Adviser to the Archbishop of Canterbury, organising the first visit of the Archbishop to meet the Pope. He was awarded an OBE in 1951. In 2010, he published Prelude to Suez about his role in Egypt in the early 1950s and his close contact with the press, army and embassy, and his friendship with Anwar Sadat - future prime minister of Egypt.

A funeral will be held on Wednesday 24 June at 11am at the Minster Church of St Mary in Cheltenham.