WIREDGOV

RUSI acknowledges with gratitude the bequests received from the estate of the late George Hitchen (1923-2014).

George Hitchen was born in Lancaster in December 1923. He served in the Royal Navy during the latter end of the Second World War and for a number of years subsequently. George inherited his father’s demolition and scrap dealership, moving to Chorley in the 1950s to pursue a successful career in in the scrap metal industry in his own right. He was also a very keen field sportsman and ran his own small shooting estate, rearing pheasants and ducks until the early 1980s. Outside of work, he was an enthusiastic fisherman, being a member of many fishing clubs, and had a passion for prestige cars – the proud owner of a number of Rolls-Royce and Jaguar vehicles. George will be remembered by friends as a very generous man in every way and was a  contributor to fundraising events, either by donations or by assistance. He was a devoted Freemason and celebrated his seventieth year in Freemasonry in April 2014. George sadly passed away on 17 December 2014 aged 91. He was happily married for seventy years to Maura, who survives him. They had no children.

RUSI has a unique mission as a home for debate and analysis on international defence and security. As a registered charity (No. 210639), RUSI does not receive core funding from any government or institution: it is a purely independent body.

If any member wishes to include RUSI in their will, they should contact Neil Watling on + 44 (0) 20 7747 2628 or email neilw@rusi.org. Depending on the preference of the donor, legacies can go towards RUSI generally, the restoration of the Institute’s prestigious headquarters or towards RUSI’s research agenda, which is aimed at finding innovative ways to foster and facilitate defence and security thinking worldwide. RUSI will recognise and thank all donors on its website (unless they prefer to remain anonymous). We can answer any questions or discuss ideas or plans in complete confidence.