Terence Rigby

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12.08.2008 : Trevor Porter wrote Terence and I served our National Service together at RAF WATNALL near Nottingham in 1957 -1958, and frequently travelled home to the Midlands together either by train from Nottingham or on my Lambretta scooter.
His drama interests were then in their infancy, and I followed his career later on with interest and a growing admiration.
I knew him as a colleague who was helpful and kind.
I am sorry to hear of his death and extend my sympathy to his immediate family.
12.08.2008 : Theresa Watson wrote The Scanlans grew up with the Rigbys in the Abbey parish, Erdington, first meeting socially at Christmastime, "picking holly", supervised by Miss Rose, in those halcyon post-war days, - no TV or computers then.
Sally was born on 2nd January (1940), and it was from Terry that she got her first Valentine card. It was only in the 80's that we were again in contact, when he phoned me, knowing I'd qualified in medicine, to ask how, exactly, one would confirm, on stage and convincingly, that a body was actually "dead" !!
He was sensitive to others' feelings, and I loved especially his Big Al, when he played the grown-up version of the Terry we knew. He wrote in his careful, neat handwriting, - crushed onto the backs of postcards. Once when I asked how on earth he learned his lines as the years rolled by, he said he just wrote them out by hand, -over and over again.
He was a loyal and generous person, and I enjoyed his continued updatings of the Rigby families. He said that he would never, ever see himself retiring. "What would I do with myself if I wasn't acting or learning lines ?"
12.08.2008 : Adrian Beglin wrote Terence Rigby should be remembered as one of the greatest actors to ever have come out of Birmingham, his death is a tragic loss to the film and acting industry.

We were related through the Rigby family lineage and when his brother phone me with the sad news it came as a deep shock. May he now rest in eternal peace with the rest of the Rigby ancestors.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his brother Patrick & Sister catherine.

The Beglin Family
12.08.2008 : John Ward wrote My long standing claim to fame is that Terence (Terry) Rigby and his brother Joey played in my dads football team circa 1960 (I have a photograph to prove it and many friends sick of hearing about it). The Rigby family lived just up the road from us in Erdington, my fathers name was Steve Ward.

Every time we heard that Terry was to be on tv we would all gather round the old black and white to watch Z Cars, Softly Softly, Dixon of Dock Green etc, or whatever he was in at the time.

Even now that our family has moved apart, we sometimes phone each other to say, "Did you see Terry in that film last night"?

Mr Rigby was a truly talented actor who gave us great memories. My sincere condolences to his family.

John Ward
Handsworth Wood, Birmingham.
13.08.2008 : Colin Salmon wrote Powerful actor, powerful man and beautifully understated in execution.
We have watched you Terence throughout our lives. Thank you for your honesty and dignity.
You will be missed.
13.08.2008 : Samantha Mosedale wrote I would like to send my sincere sympathies to Terence Rigbys family and friends.I knew Terence from The Abbey School where we became good friends and I have followed his career ever since.It is a very sad loss.My prayers are with you all.
19.08.2008 : JAMES QUIRKE wrote Terry and I became friend's whilst I was managing The Apollo Pub, on Paddington Street, London, in 1969. He was a regular customer, who I remember as a larger than life character. I also had the opportunity to see him perform at the theatre, and admired his talent. He was a good and loyal friend, and I will miss our walkabout's around the West End. Rest in Peace my friend.
24.08.2008 : Michael Lewis wrote ALan Smout and I remember Terry from the scouts at the Abbey, Erdington. He was very keen on amateur dramatics at an early age. He also used to come and watch our amateur productions at the congregational church players. A very humerous and friendly man who always encouraged others to get involved in theatre. we always knew he would be successful in the big theatre. A character who will be missed.
28.08.2008 : michael hill wrote Maggie and I have lived next door to Pat, Terry's brother for over twenty years. It came as a suprise to us to learn that his brother was a famous actor.Terry allways had time to speak to us whenever he was in Erdington.My son David used to ask him about his time in Crossroads, Terry never tired of spending time with him. My daughter Anna thought it was cool that Terry was a Hollywood star!!!! We all enjoyed meeting Terry he was without doubt a great actor and will be sadly missed by us all.His memory will live on through his work.There can be no greater tribute to a kind and thoughtfull man who took our address to America without us knowing and sent us postcards. God bless.
31.08.2008 : Robert Woodcock wrote I was sorry to read of the sad death of Terence Rigby. I knew Terence in the early 1960s when he was a founder member of an amateur dramatics company in Sutton Coldfield. As an actor he always had a strong and distinctive, powerful voice.
I particularly remember walking home with him from a dance at Maney, one Saturday evening, along the Birmingahm Road to his home at the Yenton. It was during this walk that he told me of his recent audition at RADA, and the thngs he had to do. One was to do a scene from "Romeo and Juliet", with a chair acting as a bed. Another, was to imagine and then play the part of an artist who had suddenly realized that a painting he had spent a lifetime on was worthless.
I have always followed Terence's career in acting with great interest and pleasure. His death is a sad loss, and I shall always remember him not only as a dedicated actor but as a kind and thoughtful man.
25.09.2008 : Joanna Rigby wrote Happy memories of Uncle T turning up unannounced at family gatherings with pockets full of sweets for me and my cousins. A particular memory for me, is Uncle T getting tickets for Swan Lake at Covent Garden and making a little girls dream come true. The day made even more magical by my beautiful gift of a gold ballerina necklace which I still treasure to this day. It is only now that I realise how lucky I was to live with Terry for 8 weeks during my university days, he very much loved his own space and I am very honoured that he allowed me to share his home with him and even more honoured that the "pink room" was created and named specially for my visit. That trip conjures up happy memories and non more so than a Sunday afternoon curry with Murray and Sinclair in Terry's front room. I know that I am, as is the rest of the family, very proud of Terry and his legacy remains in all his brilliant career achievements.
06.10.2008 : Coby Goss wrote I had the good fortune to act with Terence on stage in Seattle and the even greater pleasure to count him a friend. We kept in contact mostly through the mail and I can honestly say I've never read such beautifully constructed and hilarious letters in my life. It was a good day when I received correspondence from Terence. I'll never forget his good advice, his wit and his insights. He surprised me last year and came to see me in a show in New York - we went out afterwards and he gave me notes (good ones) over a pizza, then talked for a long while about plays we loved and directors we hated. I'll miss him terribly.
Terence Rigby