Two Appreciations from 1990 - Ken Webb and Christine White

Two appreciations from the JEP. On a personal note, Ken was the P.E. teacher at my schools Mandalay and VCP. I remember seeing him doing sports on Channel TV News. He came to work at the same accountancy firm, and we chatted over coffee and became friends.

In 1984, as a member of Mensa, Ken developed the magazine from the photocopied and stapled pages he inherited into a neat little piece of journalism, with a glossy cover, bound and stapled into a small booklet, and produced monthly by means of a photcopier and an Amstrad PCW512 - remember them? He was editor, and I was assistant editor.

Because contributions were exceedingly thin on the ground from the membership, Ken wrote additional material under his own name and the pseudonymn Charles Cabeldu, and I contributed extra essays and reviews under my own name and also the unlikely names of Matthew Shepard, Dr Gideon Fell (picnhed from the books John Dickson Car),  Una Nancy Owen (pinched from Agatha Christie's "And then there were none") and Magnus Riddolf (from a science fiction short story collection by Jack Vance)!

JEP Tuesday, 26 June, 1990

Appreciations: Mr Ken Webb

ONE of Jersey’s illustrious sons passed away last weekend.

Ken Webb was extremely well know not only in Jersey but also all over the Commonwealth for his knowledge of many sports.

Seventy-year-old Ken was educated at De La Salle College, and on leaving school he joined the staff of Lloyds Bank. In 1939 he joined the Royal Air Force, but was in Jersey on the day the Island became occupied, so he carried on working for Lloyds Bank both in Jersey and Guernsey.

Ken became engaged to Joan in 1940 and they were married in 1945. In 1946 he went into the , hotel business and in 1951 he decided to train as a schoolteacher, He then went to St Mary’s College, Oxford, and then to Loughborough. At the end of his training he commenced teaching at La Motte Street School, then moved on to Victoria College Prep.

Ken was a founder member of many clubs and organisations, including the Jersey Life Guards, the Jersey Rifle Association Supporters Club, and the Jersey Dinner Boxing Club. He was a trustee of Pisces Boxing Club, an instructor at Southhill Gymnasium, and also a world-class weightlifter.

But his ambition as a young man was the forming of the Jersey Commonwealth Games Association, which he accomplished in 1957. He then took the Jersey team to the next five Commonwealth Games as general team manager.

Ken was the editor of the Mensa magazine for the Channel Islands, and to add to his interests, he was also president of the Rozel Boatowners Association. He was responsible -for planning the course to be followed by Denize Le Pennec when she made the historic first-ever swim around Jersey.

But I feel that Ken will be remembered by many not for what he did for sport and other societies, but for the unselfish way which he always cared for, and about, others — especially youngsters who were not quite up to the standard required to pass exams. He was always available for extra tuition or if anybody needed advice of any sort; he always had time to listen to their problems, and always made time to help out no matter for whom or when.

Ken was also an accomplished musician; and played the piano, clarinet and saxophone in his younger days, and his love for jazz and classical music never left him, nor did his preciseness, politeness and consideration for others.

Joan has lost her partner of many years, and those who knew him have lost a very good friend and a true gentleman.

SJP

Appreciations: Mrs Christine White

CHRISTINE WHITE was born in Devon, and first became interested in the St John Ambulance Brigade when her father donated an ambulance to the local division. As no member was competent to drive this vehicle, Christine agreed to act as ambulance driver for the division. This led to her taking a first-aid course and becoming involved with the work of the Brigade.

After her marriage to David and the birth of her two daughters, a move to Jersey was made by the family, where her son was born.

Christine continued her work for the St John Ambulance and joined No 2 , Nursing Division, now known as Mountbatten Division.

But not satisfied with carrying out the duties of a nursing member she became a lay lecturer, and many people in the island owe their knowledge of first-aid to her. She will be sadly missed by all.

CAE