John was a great character and I'm sure he'll be sadly missed by many. My memories mainly relate to John's refusal to be constrained by GMT. Such as the time he asked Simon to come and help him with some sliding patio doors and not be worried that Simon was already in bed. Or ringing 15 minutes before the start of a football match to say he was running a bit late. When pushed he confessed he was actually in the Lake District. But mainly the number of times John would arrive 5 minutes late for football, still wearing his suit fresh from parents' evening and with various bits of sports clothing escaping from his bag and would then 'rush' to get changed while we waited for the game to start. I will miss him as a friend.

I am heartbroken we have lost John - but i will carry forward many happy memories of playing tennis and socializing with John. He was always first to put his hand in his pocket and put others before himself.

John is irreplaceable! A stalwart of Hoylake LTC, much valued on the committee and a gentleman who prided himself on welcoming and encouraging new members to the club. I could always rely on John's common sense, good advice and sense of humour at committee meetings and he was always ready to get on with things that needed to be done. I'll miss his friendly face and cheery greeting. Sue

A kind, generous person, a friend with whom I have shared some great times whether it was on the tennis court or grabbing a coffee shooting the breeze. A great sense of humour and a ton of bravery in the way he handled himself facing his health issues. RIP dear John and thank you for everything

Always enjoyed playing a set or two with John. An excellent player himself, he was always generous and helpful to the less gifted. Talking over coffee afterwards was always great fun too. His resilience, cheerfulness and determination- he always looked to be back on court- was an inspiration to us all. We’ll miss you John. Mark and Lynda

John has been a key member of the HLTC community for so long giving his time, expertise, support and companionship to so many. I have played Wirral League and social tennis with him for 30 years and its always been a pleasure. John was always a gentleman on court and such fun to be with. His bravery and determination to live a full life in recent years is to be admired. He leaves us with so many happy memories. We will miss him but never forget him.

I had known John for 54 years, when he and my Cousin Ruth first became friendly. I can remember fun nights at The Green Lodge in Hoylake. I could never imagine either of them marrying anyone else! I feel sad that I will not be able to see or talk to him again. I send every sympathy to Ruth, Beth, Kate and Jack. Sending love to you all, Andrew

Will miss John's friendly banter on the streets of Hoylake ,he would always stop & chat about current village life and hockey, tennis and cricket news as we both did lots of sport and had P.E. backgrounds. A great mixed doubles partner on many occasions over the decades at HLTC and a dedicated loyal team player and club member. Painting fences,fixing things,umpiring, recycling the balls, helping new members settle in ,giving coaching tips and just being a positive warm influence around the club. John leaves us with many good memories and will be sadly missed ,thoughts are with Ruth ,Kate,Beth & Jack & John's extended local family . Thinking of you all .Julie,Laura & Tom Hunter .x

I met John on my first day of joining HLTC , and from that day until 26 years later he remained fun , upbeat , positive with a capital P . Always ready to share his thoughts and discuss any subject but equally listen to your point in a considered, intelligent way . His love for life , sport and his family always shone through. He was strong , brave, caring and a Gentleman. He will be greatly missed , frequently mentioned and held in my memory every time I pick up my racket . My deepest sympathies to Ruth and family Rest in peace John x

The Thursday Boys are a sub-group of enthusiastic tennis player at HLTC. When formed they were "youngish" men but that was nearly 20 years ago. John was a highlight of this merry band. The spirit of the group is predominantly social in the way they play - competitive fun being the guiding maxim. John was at the centre of this. He would enjoy playing with anyone no matter what the standard, He was always ready to encourage and help others, young and old and those in between, to improve their game and had the skills to do so. He did anything he could to help the Thursday morning tennis to be an enjoyable experience including making the coffee, washing-up, stacking the cups and particularly giving great advice on how to play the game. John was a stalwart of the Thursday Boys - all done in the pleasantest way possible. John will be sorely missed by us all. Tony's Thursday Boys

Our family - me, Joe (Hillyard) and Joe's grandparents (Jack and Judy Moore), are all so very sad to hear of John's passing and send our sincere condolences to the family. As well as knowing John through Joe and Jack's early school years, in more recent years I had the privilege to play tennis with John in many Wirral league and other matches. He was an absolute joy to play with, encouraging, generous and skilful. A true gentleman. He will be missed by so many of us.

Such sad news. John was an inspirational teacher and a wonderful colleague. Always brought a smile and had some great stories. My thoughts and prayers are with his family x

Not Many of Us have the Charm & Magnetism in our personalities that Endear us to whoever we interact with …. Dear JOHN HAD these qualities🙏 It indeed was A true JOY TO KNOW HIM, MEET HIM , CHAT WITH HIM AND WILL FOR EVER BE TO REMEMBER HIM 🙏💐🌹…. Kailash Saxena

My deepest condolences and sending our LOVE to your and John's lovely family. John was a true gentleman!!! I have real nice memories of our tennis matches, when he could "destroy me" 6-0 6-0 and would always make the games interesting for me. Also, out of court, a very nice person with always something interesting to talk about. He will be sadly missed. Carlos

Happy memories of working with you ,John. A genuinely nice man. Kevin , Gillian and family

Let's have an Everton win tonight please Dad!