James Arthur Chisslett: [Heath 1931–1936]

My Uncle was born on December 16 1919, the large age gap between him and my Father being attributable to the fact that Grandfather was away in the Royal Navy for a few years. The time he attended Heath is something I never asked him about, probably because I never thought I would be writing his obituary, but I assume he must have attended during the 1930s. I have great memories of an Old Boys dinner at the school in the 80s which Jim enjoyed enormously.

His working life was taken up with The Halifax Building Society, initially based in Halifax, then moving to Manchester. Before his retirement he moved to Leeds and bought a house in Collingham where he spent his last years.

He married Constance Ackroyd in 1951 and they had a daughter, Helen, who was born in 1953. In 1982 he was presented with a Grandson, Andrew James, of whom he was extremely proud. Although always a supporter of Rugby Union, his great pastime was golf, a game he played well into his eighties. He was Captain at one club and President at another. I think one of his saddest days was when he finally sold his golf clubs and cart.

His wife sadly passed away in 1990 and Jim’s last few years were plagued by a blood disorder cheerfully endured. He managed to remain virtually independent right to the end when he was taken ill and admitted to hospital, dying peacefully in his sleep after a week on December 2, two weeks before his 90th birthday.

Tony Chisslett