John Boland, who died on November 14th aged 70, simultaneously held two of the highest posts in the British legal service.
His legal career was spent entirely in the Office of the Public Trustee and he rose through the ranks to be appointed Public Trustee by the Lord Chancellor. As such, he headed a staff of more than 600 who at any one time were administering 7,000 wills and trusts involving assets of more than several hundred million pounds.
Any person in England or Wales can request that a will or trust be administered by the Public Trustee in place of executors or named trustees.
Such a request was made in relation to George Bernard Shaw's will and the Public Trustee of the time had to decide on whether to over-ride Shaw's wish that Pygmalion should not be turned into a musical.
Between 1987 and 1991 he also served as Accountant General of the Supreme Court, the agency responsible for running most of the courts in England and Wales.
Of Irish origin, John Anthony Boland was born in Osterley, Middlesex, on February 23rd 1931. He was educated at Castleknock College and at Dublin University. A Catholic at Trinity in the cold 1950s, he was a founder member of the Laurentian Society, established in 1953 as a focus for Catholic students. He was also a member of the College Historical Society, of which he became an officer and later an honorary member.
On graduating, he went to London and kept in touch with Trinity, working hard to advance its interests. He was president of the TCD Association in London (1982-'85), vice-president of the TCD Dining Club and for 20 years he was a trustee of the TCD London Trust which raises money for the college.
In opting for a career in law, he followed in the footsteps of his father, Daniel Boland MBE, who was Clerk of the Lists of the Supreme Court in London and a respected writer on the British legal system.
In 1984 John Boland became assistant editor of the Supreme Court Practice, a position previously held by his father.
He gained a reputation for integrity, wisdom, charm and kindness in his professional work and was highly regarded in legal circles in Britain and elsewhere, especially in Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
John Boland believed that England had much to learn from other jurisdictions and set about forging links between public trustees in Commonwealth countries. In 1988 his office hosted the first International Conference of Public Trustees and Official Guardians in London.
Having spent long periods of time with his grandparents in Kerry, he was intensely loyal to Ireland. But he knew both sides of the Irish Sea and he seemed to be able to cross all divisions with ease.
In London he promoted Irish causes that marked out a tolerant and forward-looking society - he was, for example, a member of the Council of St Patrick's Cathedral. He was an enthusiastic member of the debating and discussion group, Tuarim, serving as its chairman.
A devout and well informed Catholic, he formed a long association with the Benedictines at Quarr Abbey, in the Isle of Wight, where he went on retreat each year.
He worked tirelessly to raise support for the Irish School of Ecumenics as a member of the London support committee.
Speakers such as Senator (now Judge) Catherine McGuinness, Father Gabriel Daly and Rev Eric Gallagher addressed annual lectures at King's College and audiences included such distinguished friends of Ireland as Iris Murdoch, Tom Burns and John Wilkins (both editors of the Tablet).
The lectures proved to be very effective in keeping the work of the school in the public eye in Britain and without John Boland's help it would probably not have been possible to hold them.
To mark the celebration of the quarter-centenary of Dublin University in 1992 he devised the form of service for graduates in St Margaret's Chapel, the parish church of the House of Commons. The chapel choir sang his favourite hymn, Ag Cr∅ost an S∅ol, in Irish and Cardinal Cahal Daly and Archbishop Robin Eames shared their hopes for a new Ireland with the congregation.
In 2000 he helped to arrange a TCD millennium dinner in the House of Commons dining room where graduates and their friends heard a memorable address by John Hume.
A quiet, modest person, John Boland let it be known that he did not wish to be considered for the Honours List.
On his return to Dublin, following his retirement, he enrolled for courses at the Milltown Institute to pursue his interest in theology.
He loved music and regularly attended the Glyndbourne and Wexford festivals.
He died the day before he was to be conferred with an honorary degree (LLD) by the University of Dublin.
The Public Orator of the university, Dr John V. Luce, in his accolade, wrote of John Boland that Horace's words about "incorruptible Trust, the sister of Justice" were entirely appropriate for his character and conduct.
He is survived by his wife, Ann (nΘe Doyle).
John Boland: born 1931; died, November 2001