A tribute to Nick Cowley

A tribute to Nicholas Robert John Cowley who passed away on 17th October, aged 58.

Nick Cowley was one of HWHC’s finest.

He joined Hampstead & Westminster Hockey Club in the early 1990s and was a regular for many years for the 4s, and in the late 1990s he captained the 5s. By the noughties, he moved on to the Vets, Supervets and most recently the GMs. He was also a regular member of the Vets touring teams in Belgium. And he captained the summer team “The Opposition”.

Above and beyond his own team, Nick was a willing umpire. He would not complain if the fixture was a late one, or even away. Whatever he did and whoever he dealt with, he did it well and with a smile.

Nick’s even bigger contribution to HWHC was off the pitch.

He was a critical member of the Club’s Management committee, as Club Treasurer for more than a decade, until late 2008. Back in those days, match fees were paid in cash, so it was arduous counting and banking weekly match fees, and also having to chase late payers. Nick was diligent and, before the days of internet connectivity, he always pursued his own initiatives (politely of course) to collect money due from Club members.

All of this he did with modesty, together with his constant charm and patience. He was integral to the club becoming a Company Limited by the guarantee of its members, and he was instrumental in securing Gift Aid status for HWHC as a Community Amateur Sports Club; the latter was key to the finances of the club.

Nick was a keen sportsman outside of hockey, too. He was a very competent tennis player and golfer. Skiing was his other main passion. After he came down from Oxford with a degree in Mathematics, he headed to the slopes in France and trained as a ski instructor. He became an excellent skier, navigating double blacks, and eventually went back in later years to fulfil his aim of going heli-skiing.

Thankfully for HWHC, after a season or so skiing Nick was persuaded (some say by his parents..) to come back to London and seek a proper job. He trained as a Chartered Accountant with Price WaterHouse.  When he first became Club Treasurer, he was a finance analyst at Kingfisher, which involved long hours in the office.

Somehow he squeezed in completing a MBA at London Business School whilst still remaining Club Treasurer. He really was an incredibly committed club member.

After his MBA, Nick became a finance director in the Caprice group for many years, and also did a decent stint as CFO for the Hakkasan restaurant group.

He also was Finance Director for the Institute of Directors in for 3 years. His generosity didn’t extend to letting the club use the IOD’s fine meeting rooms in Pall Mall for events; generous but not foolish.

In 2020, he gave up on his career in finance in order to teach Maths in a comprehensive school in Wembley. The school’s Ofsted status went from Good to Outstanding whilst he was there.

Nick was once interviewed by Prince Charles in Kensington Palace for the role of private secretary. He came second, alas. He would have been perfect for such a role: a consummate professional, loyal and completely trustworthy.

He was quite simply a brilliant human being. He was warm, with a great sense of humour and he smiled more than most.

One of several Club members from the Isle of Man, Nick leaves behind his wife, Melissa, and two sons, Finlo and Tomas. First and foremost a family man, he would often make polite excuses from team drinks to head home, and in the early years of fatherhood he missed many a game in order to focus on his family.

Nick will be deeply missed by so many.