Such was his passion for rugby that it is hard to think of William Ewart Bell, who died on January 3rd aged 76, in any other context. It is especially difficult to think of him sitting in a civil service office all day, away from his beloved playing fields.
Yet, though his name is linked inextricably with the game of rugby, he had a distinguished career in the Northern Ireland Civil Service, rising to become its head in 1979 during difficult times.
Indeed, in 1985, after he had retired, he told an audience at the University of Ulster that he had been the only Northerner to attend four of the five AngloIrish summit meetings. He believed senior civil servants in the North had a valuable contribution to make to the political decision-making process, because of their local knowledge.
He greatly favoured constructive co-operation between all peoples on the island. He was a member of the board of the International Fund for Ireland and was active in Co-operation North.
He was born on November 13th, 1924, to the Rev Dr Frederick G. Bell, a Methodist minister, and Margaret Jane Ewart. He was educated at Methodist College, Belfast. He was awarded a scholarship to Queen's University, but stayed on another year, winning a scholarship to Wadham College, Oxford.
"Apart from anything else, it gave me another year of schools rugby." Even at that early stage it was clear he was well and truly in thrall to the game.
After graduating in mathematics, he worked at Cheltenham College for two years (needless to say, he played for both Oxford University and Cheltenham), before returning to Northern Ireland in 1948.
He worked in the Ministry of Health and Local Government until 1952 when he moved to the Ministry (later the department) of Commerce. He was to spend the rest of his career in the area of commerce and finance.
By 1963, he was assistant secretary of the department, becoming secretary 10 years later. He was permanent secretary of the Department of Finance from 1976 to 1979. From then until his retirement in 1984 he was head of the Civil Service. He was knighted in 1982.
But in many ways it will be for his contribution to rugby that he will be most remembered. He was member of Collegians's Ulster Cup and league winning side in 1950-'51 and played for his province 25 times. He made his debut for Ireland against France in 1953 at Ravenhill, when the home side was helped to a 16-3 victory by a Jack Kyle try. He played in all four championship matches that season, when Ireland also beat Scotland and drew with England. He also played for the Barbarians that year.
At the end of his playing career at the age of 29 he turned his hand to administration. There his contribution was at least as distinguished as that on the playing fields.
He was a member of the Ireland selection committee in 1966 and 1967 and chaired the committee between 1969-'70. He also chaired the Ulster selection committee. He was elected president of the Ulster Branch in 1974 and was on the committee of the Irish Rugby Football Union for almost 20 years until 1993.
In that year he was elected chairman of the Rugby World Cup and was president when the World Cup was held in South Africa in 1995. And one of his proudest moments was when he stood beside Nelson Mandela as the World Cup was presented to the Springboks squad.
When, in 1986, New Zealand toured South Africa in defiance of the rules of the International Board, he made no secret of his anger over what had happened. This was the same year in which he was elected president of the IRFU. He became a trustee of the IRFU in 1996.
He married Kathleen Ross Boucher in 1957 and they had two daughters, Dorothy and Hazel.
While he may have missed out on his scholarship to Queen's by staying on the playing fields of Methodist College for an extra year, he got an honorary degree from that university in 1994. He had earned it, too: he worked as its unpaid treasurer from 1985 to 1993.
Ewart Bell was another example of those who manage to fit into one lifetime what many another could not fit into several lifetimes. Apart from rugby, the Civil Service and, later, his work for cross-Border relations, he was a member of Knock Golf Club and a fan of Arsenal Football Club. He was also a director of the Ulster Bank and served on the senate of Queen's University.
Perhaps he will be best remembered as one who brought people together rather than pushing them apart. Such an attitude is the very essence of the International Fund for Ireland and of Co-operation North. Everything he did was with integrity, the quality which he displayed in abundance, and with which he has been associated this week by those who knew him.
He is survived by his wife Kathleen, daughters, Dorothy and Hazel, and a brother and sister.
Sir (William) Ewart Bell: born 1924; died, January 2001