The funeral of veteran Eagle Robert Willin (known on Facebook as Rob Eagle) took place on Tuesday 21 February at Mortlake Crematorium. A webcast was available for those who could not attend in person and a watch-again video is available on this link Username: hale8682 Password: 458661.
A number of tributes were made to Rob during the service including one on behalf of Ealing Eagles by Godfrey Rust which is set out below. With the agreement of Rob’s family an Eagles vest was placed by Godfrey without comment on Rob’s coffin to be cremated with him.
In the Ealing Eagles running club, Robert Willin wasn’t perhaps very well-known. But almost everyone knew Rob Eagle, the name he took on Facebook a decade ago to play a full part in a community that came to mean so much to him.
There are more than 700 Eagles, from social, occasional runners, to those aspiring to get fitter, to serious and fast competitors. Rob covered that whole range.
A tail runner is the person at the back of any run, encouraging and helping the slowest. For a couple of years Rob tailed weekly club runs. For seven years he helped groups of beginners get from nowhere to running 5K. He volunteered at more than 50 parkruns and tail-ran for the kids in the mini-miles at the Ealing Half. His stretching sessions were iconic. His method of tying shoelaces entered club legend. He personally helped hundreds and hundreds of people.
He was certainly sociable. Rob met Rani through Eagles, and made many, many good friends: that’s obvious looking around today.
And he competed in pretty much every kind of race, though normally steered clear of marathons unless wine was involved. He regularly won his age group in the club championship and was leading it again this year. Rob, sprinting home in a cross country in full flight, mud splattered over his glasses and his once-pristine white Eagles vest, with his arms and legs rotating furiously like pistons on a steam train is not a sight to be easily forgotten.
Runners can get a bit obsessed with their personal best times, or PBs. Rob’s PBs were seriously good for anyone, let alone a 60-something, but our personal best isn’t measured by a watch, but by what we leave with others. And sometimes we don’t notice just how loved someone is until suddenly they’re not there, and then it pours out as spontaneously as it did in more than 200 responses on Eagles Facebook page when the news broke. Here’s a tiny sample of what people thought of Rob:
A wonderfully kind man, always happy to help and advise those who needed it.
I'll always be grateful for all of his support.
One of the warmest, friendliest, most approachable, selfless Eagles.
Such a gentle guy with a great sense of humour:
When I think of Eagles I picture Rob in my mind.
My heart is broken… goodbye my wonderful and generous friend, I shall miss you dearly.
I could go on, and on - Rob was that rare creature, someone who was universally liked. It will be a long time until we get used to him not bowling up just in time to yet another event with his serious smile and determination to do his bit.
I’ve no doubt the club will create an annual trophy in Rob’s name. I don’t know for what exactly, because it could be one of several things to commemorate someone who, as much as anybody, represented the spirit and life of our community. We will miss you greatly, Rob Eagle. Thank you, from all of us. Rest those speedy limbs in peace.
Godfrey Rust, Feb 2023