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Obituary John Thame 1920 - 2009
John was born in Chelsea London in 1920 and his brother Arthur was born three years later. His mother was widowed when John was six and his mother worked as a cook and cleaner to keep the family together, believing the future lay in education for her boys. John was head choir boy at St Mary the Virgin, Sloane Square and a server. The Church played a central role in his life and he was also a keen member of scouts.
He started his stamp collection as a boy, a hobby for which he maintained enthusiasm throughout his life. He won a scholarship to the grammar school and did well in his exams and gained entry to the Civil Service. His wartime service in Navy supplies, due to his civil service experience, meant he did not see action but he provided the stores needed for the men in the front line. He married Peggy, his war-time sweetheart, in 1943 and they had three children, Susan, Colin and Margaret. John’s job took him to Lancashire in 1948 but he moved back to London later and arranged for the family to come south to rented accommodation, while the house he was to live in for more than 50 years, was being built.
John’s career in the Civil Service progressed well and he enjoyed many interesting years in establishments, now known as “human resources”, which took him to the great historic places in London and abroad. He was an active member of the Civil Service Christian Union and he was also able to enjoy his stamp collecting hobby of course through membership of the CSPS.
He took early retirement in his late fifties and this gave him scope to pursue his hobbies, walking, stamp collecting and bridge as well as taking up golf. Together with Peggy, they took many wonderful holidays, particularly memorable were their trips to New Zealand, America, Bermuda and Europe. A great sadness was the death from cancer of their son, Colin, aged 46.
During the later years of his life John suffered some mini strokes. With foreknowledge that time was closing in on him, he gradually sold off his stamp collection. Unfortunately no one in the family was sufficiently interested in John’s collection to want to take it over when he could no longer work with it, so he decided to sell off his collection, both through the CSPS and the Bromley and Beckenham Philatelic Society, of which he was also a member. This gave him the opportunity to work with his vast and beloved collection again and he spent many happy hours poring over his albums, visiting the library to look at the catalogues, pricing and mounting his stamps.
Condolences were sent on behalf of the Society, which was represented at John’s committal on 1st April 2009. At the start of the April Society meeting members observed a minute’s silence in John’s memory.
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