John died peacefully on the 21st of October at the Fairways Nursing Home, Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, where he had been admitted following a fall in June and breaking his hip- he had also been previously diagnosed as suffering from Parkinson’s disease together with Lewy body dementia. His funeral was held at Saint Mary’s Church, Menai Bridge, where he had been a longstanding member, on the 8th of November. Donations in memory were received and shared between Dementia UK and Friends of Church Island.
He was born on the 9th of May 1947 in Poole, Dorset, where he had a very happy childhood, growing up in a loving family with his younger brother, Mark, a lifelong soulmate. He enjoyed his seven years at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Wimborne Minster although, by his own admission, he was not the most dedicated student and only did as much as was required academically. He did, however, love the social side of QE life, becoming a Queen’s Scout. Thereafter, he attended Harper Adams Agricultural College for two years, a good preparation for his studies here at Bangor University in the Agriculture Department where he completed his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Agriculture and Economics.
As in his school days, he did much more that study whilst at Bangor- he joined the Gilbert and Sullivan Society and became its Treasurer- it was there that he met the love of his life Lis, a glorious Soprano. He also took an Interest in Student Union activities and was elected to the prestigious Sabbatical Post of Union Manager- a post to which he was very well suited, as John was both astute and careful (though admittedly there was an overspend on the Union bar that year!).
On leaving the University, he had a short teaching career at a Secondary School in Hope, near Wrexham, where he taught Environmental Studies and established a School Farm which included a very amorous goat. He escaped the perilous relationship and returned to his alma mater where he was employed in the Academic Registry as an Assistant Registrar until his retirement. As demonstrated by the number of former colleagues in attendance at the funeral, he was a highly popular, loyal, and conscientious colleague and enthusiastic team player who enjoyed his work enormously. His responsibilities included liaison with, and support of, overseas students, and his interest and commitment to international cooperation was very genuine, principled, and culturally sensitive. He enjoyed travelling, could travel lightly and had the guts to do it on his own- sometimes to dangerous and remote places. Indeed, his travels took him to many countries, including, Uganda, Sierra Leone, India, Australia, Palestine, the Philippines, and Pakistan. Most visits were on behalf of the University whilst others were of his own making in his capacity as an Advisor and Scheme Assessor Member for both Christian Aid and Fair Trade, a role for which he was perfectly suited given his Agri/ economics background and his especial humane qualities. It was during one such visit to Pakistan that he formed an important relationship with a local priest and between them they established a charity which helped girls into education. He told the North Wales News that while in the rugged and warless Baluchistan Region he had to travel around in a blacked out 4x4 with an armed guard. He said, "I had a meeting with one warlord, which was particularly difficult. He was very suspicious, but after a while an urn of Afghan tea was brought in, and I knew I had been accepted." The commendable and brilliant result was that they set up two schools specifically for girls and these were named after John’s only daughter, Emma, who sadly died of cancer at the very early age of thirty- three.
John’s international volunteerism was matched by parallel local commitments and dedication. He was very involved in the life of the Church of Wales both locally and nationally, serving on the National Synod. Moreover, he became a lay- reader and mastered the Welsh Language sufficiently to hold bi- lingual services. He was also an enthusiastic and committed Community Councillor and an active Rotarian. He became the Chair of Bangor Rotary Club’s Oversees Committee that channelled funds and resources to support worthy causes. His advice and meticulous attention to detail was invaluable.
As indicated above, however, John also had to cope with some tragic, traumatic, and very challenging life events. Emma’s premature passing was later followed by Lis’s wholly unexpected and untimely death in 2022 at the age of 69 , after a short illness due to a brain tumour. These hammer blows undoubtedly slowed John down a little, but to his enormous credit he kept on going knowing that he had things to do and others to care for. As Elliot, who along with Olivia was one of John and Lis’ two grandchildren, rightly said at the conclusion of his tribute at the Service, `” John maintained his sunny disposition and wry sense of humour to the end. “` Happily, John was also survived by a very cherished great grandson called Niall, to whom he proudly taught all that he knew and loved about trains, which was a lot!!
Aled , Chris, Gareth, and Mark