Farewell to Severn Valley fundraising giant John Leftwich
TRIBUTES have been paid to Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust interim chairman John Leftwich, who died in hospital on April 28, a few days before his 65th birthday, following a short illness.
Fellow trustee Nick Paul, chairman of SVR ( Holdings), said: "John was a dear personal friend and an equally great friend to the railway, and his loss will be felt deeply by many people.
"John was integral in extending the remit of the SVR Charitable Trust in 2012. Indeed without his guidance and considerable financial support, it simply would not have got off the ground. He brought tremendous business acumen to his role as fundraising director on the board of trustees, gained from a stellar career that culminated in his position as corporate vice president of Microsoft, responsible for marketing across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
"We've lost one of our own, and our deepest condolences go to his wife Louise and his family:'
With a background in sales and marketing John, who lived near TenburyWells, was the first Englishman to become an executive at Microsoft, and in recognition of his achievement, was awarded a Fellowship from the University of Worcester. He spent more than 20 years in the personal computer industry and was a Worcestershire area chairman of the Prince's Trust.
Lord Faulkner of Worcester, the previous president of the university's College of Fellows and the president of the Heritage Railway Association, said: "We shared a passion for heritage railways, and I remember with particular pleasure riding on his 60th birthday special train on the SVR in 2015.
"The steam locomotive carried a special ' John Leftwich' headboard. His contribution to the SVR was immense:'
SVR Charitable Trust director of development Shelagh Paterson said:" John was always a wonderful advisor, mentor and friend. He really was a giant of a character, and a huge presence in any room.
"His ideas and passion got our Future Fund investment in place, attracting donations from far and wide, and he helped us shape the charitable trust to become what it is today- a major part of the railway - with a track record of raising £ 5 million. He leaves a huge gap in his wake:'