From Iain

Some memories of Jon by his good friend Iain...

"We met aged 11 and became good friends from then on. Most of our teens was spent around Dringhouses, the area he grew up in. We hung around the knavesmire, in the local woods or in his bedroom playing records and watching tv shows such as The A-Team, Miami Vice and Magnum P.I."

"Jon’s love of the outdoors and nature has never ceased. With his wife Fiona and their children Alex and Felicity they have holidayed and day-tripped greatly in the country. Fiona has often joked about when planning a walk they would have to at least double the guide books recommended time due to Jon’s constant stopping to investigate the local fauna, or catch a fleeting glimpse of a buzzard. Jon was brought up with a love of walking and the natural world by his parents Pat and Alan and Fiona tells me how Alex, Jon and Fi’s son, has developed a love for nature, obviously enthused by his father and in keeping with the family tradition."

".....just before Jon’s bone marrow transplant, he and I went for a walk in the country. The time was near to the birthday of Jon and Fiona’s first child Eleanor who had sadly passed away. In walking, Eleanor’s name came up in conversation and my immediate reaction was to ask Jon if he was ok talking about her. He told me he was always happy to talk about her as it keeps her memory alive and around him. I think we should have Jon’s attitude and think the same for him. Sometimes it might make us sad, a lot of times it will make us smile, but to keep thinking of Jon will keep his memory alive and always around us."