Born in 1944 in Lower Kingswood, Surrey, John grew up with two loves - electronics and aviation.

With the electronics he worked in London and with the various BBC research facilities pioneering today's transmission techniques. He also ran his own company in West Sussex serving thousands of people that he got to know personally over many years. He also did much work for the RAFA Sussexdown home.

On the aviation side of things, from building and flying his own scale models and working on pioneering radio transmitters for them, he was also associated with modelling companies such as Sky Leader at Croydon, before moving on to the full size aircraft. In the early 1990s John took over the Aero Book Company, which he had been working with for a long time, and continued to attend airshows around the country each year up to the end of 2006. Also in the early 1990s John was involved with the Short Sunderland at Calshot before it went to America, and also helped train people to fly floatplanes for their British floatplane rating in West Sussex, with a Piper Super Cub which was the only floatplane in the country. During this time he also helped with floatplane pleasure flying, which was the first time it had happened since just after the end of World War Two. In 1996 John, his wife Janis, and son Neil, made up part of 'Team Merlin' who operated the World War One Vickers Vimy Bomber replica around the airshow circuit. John and Neil have since been involved with many different aircraft such as completely rebuilding their Miles Messenger which will hopefully fly next year, and are also working on a replica of a Handley Page HP42 airliner from the 1930s, which was and is still their goal to get flying.

After a two month battle, with an as of yet unknown illness, John passed away last Monday evening at the Intensive Care Unit at St. Richards Hospital, Chichester, at the age of 63. John was full of strength and energy and as was the case with everything he did in life he did not expect anything back in return for what he gave others. He will be missed by all that knew him, but his legacy will go on through the aircraft he has, and the setting up of a memorial fund to help underprivileged children and teenagers to fly.

The family also intend to buy a special bed for St Richards Hospital, Chichester, Intensive Care Unit, as this was helping John whilst he was there, and they do not have one of these lifesaving beds of their own.