John D Horsley OH 1961-1966
Sunday 11 August 2019
The OH Club have been informed of the death of John in August 2019 after a short illness.John passed away on the 11th August 2019 at the age of 72. A memorial service takes place at noon on Friday 6th March 2020 at Christ Church, Chorleywood, Herts WD3 5SG (very near jct 18 of M25). John was born in Woodford, Essex on the 6th July 1947, the only son of Ted and Elsie Horsley. Ted was a senior chemist with Glaxo and Elsie was a secretary. John attended Dulwich College Prep school in Cranbrook and then went on to board at Hereford Cathedral School because his parents frequently travelled abroad. On leaving HCS, John completed an external degree in Economics, Geography and French at the University of London (UCL). He often recalled his time spent in ‘digs’ in Enfield with fellow students Fred and Queenie while studying. He also spoke fondly of his holiday jobs delivering Christmas post and working on the Lakeland ferries. In 1969, John joined Coutts Bank initially as a clerk. Given his aptitude for languages he progressed to the French department and embarked on a long career in Private Banking as a Client Relationship Manager in the international department. He was primarily focused on Portugal and Scandinavia. He initially retired from Coutts in 1999 but before long went on to join Bank Sarasin, a Swiss firm, continuing in the same line of work until 2011. He was greatly appreciated by his clients and built a strong relationship with many of them over his entire career. Dedication to clients. Typically, he took an interest that went beyond a professional capacity, keeping in contact with many customers after retirement and continuing to advise them informally. His knowledge and expertise were greatly appreciated, as was his professional, unassuming manner and discretion. He was a regular attendee of the Anglo-Portuguese society and the Swedish Chamber of Commerce. Outside of work he had met a Portuguese national, Maria Isabel Costa Pereira da Silva, and they married in 1971 in Lisbon, Portugal before settling down in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire. John and Isabel have 2 children, Sylvia Denise born in 1974 and Alexander John born in 1977. They also have 4 granddaughters; Jessie, Lara, Annabel and Isla. John was a formidable linguist, keen traveller, award-winning photographer and a tireless gardener. He loved nature and had acquired an extensive collection of rocks and fossils which he proudly displayed in the family home. His children remember many hot and dusty expeditions to find elusive fossils in far-flung places. John had been a long-standing member of the Harrow and Hillingdon Geological Society and even gave enthusiastic talks on some unusual Portuguese rocks like the Pedras Parideiras (birthing stones). What’s more, his Christian faith was very important to him and he was an active member of the congregation at Christ Church, Chorleywood John loved visiting India and was looking forward to another trip in 2020 as well as planned ventures to New Zealand, Chile and Thailand. Shortly before retiring he had purchased a plot of land in Azeitao, Portugal. He and his dear wife Isabel configured and built their dream home and garden spending much of the year there exploring the area in his beloved Mercedes and enjoying the local food and drink. Sylvia and Alex with their respective spouses and children also spent many happy holidays together in Portugal in the family home. In December 2018 John underwent a procedure to remove a tumour that had been detected in his bladder. Despite extensive chemotherapy in the first half of 2019, unfortunately the cancer could not be contained. In July 2019 he was holidaying in Portugal with Isabel when he was suddenly and unexpectedly taken ill. He sadly passed away two weeks later in the Hospital Da Luz in Setubal in a room over-looking the beautiful Serra da Arrabida. Even in his final days, he retained his sense of humour, insisting the nurses speak to him in Portuguese and making jokes about the hospital food!
John David Horsley OH 1960-1966 John sadly passed away on 11 August 2019 at the age of 72. Following an operation to remove a tumour that had been detected in his bladder, John had undergone extensive chemotherapy in the first half of 2019 but unfortunately the cancer could not be contained.John was born in Woodford, Essex on 6 July 1947, the only son of Ted and Elsie Horsley. Ted was a senior chemist with Glaxo and Elsie was a secretary. John attended Dulwich College Prep school in Cranbrook and then went on to board at Hereford Cathedral School because his parents frequently travelled abroad. On leaving HCS, John completed an external degree in Economics, Geography and French at the University of London (UCL). He often recalled his time spent in ‘digs’ in Enfield with fellow students Fred and Queenie while studying. He also spoke fondly of his holiday jobs delivering Christmas post and working on the Lakeland ferries. In 1969, John joined Coutts Bank initially as a clerk. Given his aptitude for languages he progressed to the French department and embarked on a long career in Private Banking as a Client Relationship Manager in the international department. He was primarily focused on Portugal and Scandinavia. He initially retired from Coutts in 1999 but before long went on to join Bank Sarasin, a Swiss firm, continuing in the same line of work until 2011. He was greatly appreciated by his clients and built a strong relationship with many of them over his entire career. Typically, he took an interest that went beyond a professional capacity, keeping in contact with many customers after retirement and continuing to advise them informally. Outside of work he had met a Portuguese national, Maria Isabel Costa Pereira da Silva, and they married in 1971 in Lisbon, Portugal before settling down in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire. John and Isabel have 2 children, Sylvia Denise born in 1974 and Alexander John born in 1977. They also have 4 granddaughters; Jessie, Lara, Annabel and Isla. John loved visiting India and was looking forward to another trip in 2020 as well as planned ventures to New Zealand, Chile and Thailand. Shortly before retiring he had purchased a plot of land in Azeitao, Portugal. He and his dear wife Isabel configured and built their dream home and garden spending much of the year there exploring the area in his beloved Mercedes and enjoying the local food and drink. Sylvia and Alex with their respective spouses and children also spent many happy holidays together in Portugal in the family home.