In memory

Court Assistant John Ponsonby OBE

John Ponsonby OBE

Court Assistant John Ponsonby OBE died peacefully in his sleep in the early hours of Saturday the 22nd of October 2022.

John became a Liveryman in November 2011 and was an active Coachmaker. As a retired Senior Officer of the RAF who had gone on to forge a successful career in the aerospace industry, his aviation background made him an asset to the Membership Committee on which he served for several years. In September 2020 he joined the Court as a Steward and in 2021 he became a Court Assistant and assumed the role of Membership Committee Chairman.

The funeral and service of thanksgiving will be on Monday 14th November at 1030 at Downside Abbey, Stratton on the Fosse, Radstock. This will be followed by a reception after which a private family burial service will be held.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends as they come to terms with their sudden loss.

Liveryman John Pearl

Liveryman John Pearl passed away unexpectedly on the morning of Sunday 16th October 2022. He had undergone several medical procedures this year but in the week before he died he had reported that all was now well and he hoped that his recent problems were behind him as he looked forward to the Aerospace Industry Dinner; sadly that was not to be.

John became a Liveryman in May of 1993 and very quickly established himself as a keen supporter of the Coachmakers’ Charitable efforts. For many years he served as the Secretary to the Charity Committee but it will be for his work setting up, and subsequently administering the Coachmakers’ 100 Club quarterly prize draw that he will perhaps be best remembered. Awarded the Master’s Award in 2015 in recognition of his tireless efforts to manage the initiative, at the time of his passing it had had collected almost £147k from those who were members of the 100 Club, of which £76k had been transferred to the Coachmakers’ Charitable Trust and the remainder distributed in prize money.

John also featured prominently in the story of those Coachmakers who had been involved with, or in support of, the Falklands Task Force in 1982. Although modest about his achievement, as a young designer working in the design office of De Havilland, he had a key role in finalising the design and iconic shape of the engine intakes of the Harrier, an aircraft that was so important to the Task Force.

John was an extremely likeable man, gentle, kind and always willing to do whatever was necessary for the benefit of others. He was a keen golfer, a member of the RAC and with Sue by his side, a doting father and grandfather. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and close friends, he will be much missed by everyone.