We are extremely sad to share the news of the death of our gardener and groundsperson Andy Hay, who passed away on his way into work last Friday.
Andy joined Brunel's Grounds team in 2002, with the responsibility for the general upkeep and maintenance of the outdoor spaces on our campus in Uxbridge and also at Osterley, then part of the University's estate. The sustained hard work of Andy and his Grounds colleagues resulted in our green and neat campus being awarded five consecutive Green Flag Awards.
Andy, second from right, celebrating Brunel's most recent Green Flag Award
However, Andy’s real passion was sport, and in particular football – so understandably Andy was drawn toward sports pitch maintenance and management, investing huge amounts of his time and effort in ensuring that Brunel’s pitches and outdoor playing surfaces were as good as they could possibly be.
"There is a good chance that if you have played on one of Brunel’s outdoor sports pitches, Andy probably prepared it for you," said James Budkiewicz, Brunel's Assistant Director of Commercial Services. "Whether it was for elite professional use or just a kick-about with a group of friends, Andy would prepare the pitches with the same level of care and attention."
Yet, as Andy would often remind his colleagues, he would probably have preferred if everyone just stayed off his pitches so they could remain pristine. "He loved looking after the pitches, but was probably less keen on people actually using them," James explained.
Football-mad Andy’s other great passion was Queen's Park Rangers. A season ticket holder, Andy would often only use his annual leave to visit his beloved QPR. "At the end of every year we would have to try to convince him to use his remaining annual leave," James said. "Simply, if it didn’t involve QPR he would rather be at work."
Andy was a true gent and will be missed dearly by all those who worked with him. James added: "I have no doubt he will continue to keep an eye on his beloved pitches from afar, celebrating every goal and making sure we are not overusing them."
Reported by:
Joe Buchanunn,
Media Relations
+44 (0)1895 268821
joe.buchanunn@brunel.ac.uk