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