Eric Jones
1925 - 21 April 2018
Eric (full name Charles David Eric Jones) was born in Brecon, South Wales
where his father was a bank manager and this incurred several changes of
address, all in Wales, as Eric was growing up. He was one of three
brothers. As a young man he was, according to one of the brothers, “brainy,
with always an interest in chemistry.” He went to Cambridge University
and most of his subsequent life was spent with Courtaulds, the textile
giants based in Preston. Such was his talents that he eventually became its
General Manager and later its Conservation Director. This led to his
being appointed to the National Conservation Council, a government body, one
of whose tasks was to consider the options of what could be done with
countries damaged by war – what could be salvaged and what could be repaired
or rebuilt. In this position he was made an honorary army
Lieutenant–Colonel. While with Courtaulds he was given the
responsibility of organising the establishment of a textile factory in
Russia - which, when he retired, was the subject of a talk he gave to Probus
in January 1999 and which he repeated in December 2011. Eric joined
our Probus club in 1997 and from then on he rarely missed a meeting and was
often Chairman of the Day. He was our President for 2003–04. He
met his wife Jean at University and they eventually had three sons.
She died seven years ago since when he had lived alone in the Majestic
apartments on St. Annes front.
Geoff Hayman, May 2018
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