by Ksenia Afonina
Rolfe Monteith, Plymouth, December 2023
It was back in 2015 in London when my first personal encounter with Rolfe Monteith took place. Since 2013, as part of CamRuSS, we had been actively engaged in building connections with Second World War veterans in the UK. Our aim was to learn from them, record their memories, and share the stories of those who had witnessed first-hand the tragic events that shaped our history.
That same year, we organised a meeting with the veterans of the Arctic Convoys at Churchill College, supported by the Churchill Archives Centre and introduced by Professor David Reynolds. It was a deeply moving and illuminating occasion.
Through a kind introduction by Tim Lewin, two veterans from Canada came to our attention — and, unsurprisingly, they were close friends. Bob Stephens and Rolfe Monteith had served together in the Royal Navy, and after the war both chose to build their lives in the UK.
Captain Rolfe Gibson Monteith (RCN Retired)
When we first spoke on the phone, they were equally enthusiastic about sharing their experiences and reflections. Rolf suggested that we meet next time we were both in London.
We met soon after, in a steakhouse just off Pall Mall. On my way there from the Strand after work, I wondered how I would recognise him. The restaurant was busy, every table taken. I looked around, and one gentleman stood up and waved. Dressed in a business suit and glasses, he blended perfectly with the city’s style — yet what made him stand out was his warm, disarming smile and sharp, curious gaze, together with his gentle, thoughtful manners toward everyone around him.
Rolfe Monteith, Ksenia Afonina and Bob Stephens, 2018
I waved back and approached the table. We hugged and greeted each other as if we had been friends for years. That sense of connection only deepened over the following years of our friendship. We met in London whenever our paths crossed; I took my family to visit Rolf in Wales, and he came to Cambridge, where we hosted an evening of memories with Bob Stephens and Rolfe, moderated by Mungo Melvin. We even spoke of travelling to Russia together. Rolf was determined to meet Vladimir Putin to discuss the importance of preserving peace, and I offered to accompany him on that mission. That was before COVID. Who knows what might have happened if Rolfe had indeed gone to Moscow then…
Rolfe Monteith at the Royal Naval Club, 2018
Rolf was an extraordinary person — endlessly curious, deeply empathetic, and passionately committed to justice. He believed in travel as a vital source of knowledge and self-development, was profoundly concerned about environmental issues, and often reflected on the influence of money in human life.
Back in 2011, Rolfe began drafting a summary of his lifelong contemplations on these themes, which he kindly shared with me — pages written in his impeccable handwriting. I would now like to share a typed version of those thoughts and reflections — his distilled wisdom.
He is deeply missed and will remain in our hearts and memories. His legacy and wisdom will live on.
“All written in the book in the sky.”
— one of Rolfe Monteith’s favourite sayings.
Rolfe Monteith obituary by Mungo Melvin.
Rolfe Monteith by HMS Belfast, 2018
