Colvyn Hugh Haye was born on 7 December 1925 in Tundla, Uttar Pradesh, India, a son of Colvyn Hugh Haye (1895-1969) and Avis Rose Haye née Kelly.
He was educated at the Oak Grove School, Jharipani, Mussoorie, India, the Sherwood College, Nainital, Uttrakhand, India, the Melbourne Teachers’ College, Grattan Street, Carlton, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, the University of Melbourne, Australia and at Christ Church, Oxford University.
Between 1944 and 1946 he served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. In 1949 he married Gloria Mary Stansbury in Victoria, Australia and they arrived on 24 January 1953 in Tilbury, Essex, aboard the SS Strathearn of The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, having embarked as 1st class passengers in Melbourne, Australia. The ship's manifest recorded him as aged 27 years and a schoolmaster and his wife as a 22-year-old stenographer. Their UK address was given as 55 Sutton Court, Brighton Road, Sutton, Surrey.
He then joined the Colonial Service (now His Majesty Overseas Civil Service). He was posted to Hong Kong as an Education Officer in 1953 and they left Southampton, Hampshire, on 26 June 1953 aboard the RMS Corfu of the P & O line bound for Hong Kong as 1st class passengers. The ship's manifest showed him as aged 27 years and confirmed his occupation as an education officer whilst his wife was described as a 23-year-od secretary. It records their UK address had been 55 Sutton Court, Sutton, Surrey and that they intended to make Hong Kong their permanent residence.
He became a Senior Education Officer in 1962, an Assistant Director of Education in 1969, the Deputy Director of Education in 1975 and the Director of Education in 1980 for which he was made an Ordinary Commander of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1983 Queen's Birthday Honours List. He became the London Secretary, Administration Grade, from 1984 to1987 and finally was the Hong Kong Commissioner in London.
Retaining addresses in the United Kingdom, electoral registers in 1958 show both him and his wife listed at Hedderley House, Boars Hill, Abingdon, Berkshire, (now Oxfordshire) and in 1963 at 17 Glebe Road, Sutton, Surrey. From 2004 to 2010 they were both listed at Balmenock, Gwydyr Road, Crieff, Perth & Kinross, Scotland.
He died, aged 89 years, on 18 April 2015, his death being registered in the Crieff registration district.
