BOAM, Maj-Gen Thomas Anthony CB CBE 1932-2023
Richard R
He was s of Lt-Col Thomas Sydney BOAM OBE 1905-79 of Tadworth, Surrey by his 24 Oct 1928 m (Holy Trinity, Brompton) to Nancy Mabel PHILIPS 1906-86. He m 1961 Penelope Christine Mary 1937-2016 d of Cyril Alfred ROBERTS 1908-88 and Christine Annabel 1908-96 d of Hon Edward Christian KITSON 1873-1922 (s of 1st Baron AIREDALE 1835-1911) and as her 1st h (her 2nd h was Walter J Burt d 1931) Mary Katharine c1876-1944 d of Samuel HIRST of Scarborough, and had a son and two daus as above.
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Maj Gen Tony Boam, skilled diplomatist who talked a Nigerian president out of bloodshed – obituary
He also took the Scots Guards to Londonderry for Operation Motorman to clear the barricades from ‘No-Go’ areas at the height of the Troubles
Major General Tony Boam, who has died aged 91, had a distinguished career as a soldier and was a man with an exceptional gift for friendship and impressive skills as a diplomatist….
Thomas Anthony Boam was born in Chester on February 14 1932. His grandfather served with the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War and was chairman of the family colliery business. His father was an officer in the Royal Leicestershire Regiment and his mother was born in New Zealand….
After suffering a severe heart attack, his career in the Army came to an abrupt end but he made the transition to civilian life with typical energy and enthusiasm. An accomplished sportsman, he was a good tennis player and a keen watcher of cricket. In 2017, he was delighted to be given a life membership of the MCC and he regularly treated family members to a day’s cricket at Lords.
For seven years he was director of the British Consultancy Bureau (later renamed the British Expertise International) and travelled widely to promote British businesses. Among his work for charity, he was vice-president of the Leonard Cheshire Foundation and chairman of 4 Sight, the West Sussex Association for the Blind from 2003 to 2006. He took an active part in his village community as a churchwarden and in social events. He was a keen bridge player.
Tony Boam married, in 1961, Penelope (Penny) Roberts. He nursed her, devotedly, through her long struggle with Alzheimer’s, from which she died in 2016. He is survived by their son and two daughters.
Tony Boam, born February 14 1932, died November 20 2023