Part 2 (Obituaries) - King's College - University of Cambridge

148
OBITUARIES
Michael returned to Britain from New York with his wife Jorie, whom he
had married in 1957. Theirs was to be a happy marriage, and they had three
sons and a daughter together. Michael and Jorie moved from London to
Bracknell in 1960 and Michael opened a wine-merchant business.This he did
more for the love of wine – a passion from his days at King’s – and for the
ability to entertain his friends at wholesale prices than for any entrepreneurial
zeal. Michael was famous for his generosity.
From Bracknell, Michael moved on to a Queen Anne house at Silchester. The
attraction was a 50-acre garden where Michael could realise his gardening
dreams. He eventually managed to accumulate a great collection of camellias,
azaleas and rhododendrons, and he opened his garden for over 20 years for
the public through the National Garden Scheme. Michael also served as the
International Branch Chairman of the Rhododendron, Camellia and Magnolia
Group of the Royal Horticultural Society. His interest in flowers and his
resourcefulness in business were such that he even at one point set up a
business importing artificial flowers from Hong Kong that he then sold in
England and Europe.
Michael was keen to serve the local community in various ways throughout
his working life, and especially after retirement. He was a much respected
Justice of the Peace who also worked with Reading Gaol and the St John
Ambulance service in Berkshire. Michael also served on the board of the
Anton Jurgens Fonds, a family charity which awarded grants for the setting
up of enterprises overseas.
Towards the end of his life Michael was diagnosed with cancer and expected
to live only a few years. He faced this news with bravery and determination
and continued to entertain his friends as generously as before, though he
was clearly unwell. In the spring of 2005 Michael even embarked on a
cruise to the Galapagos Islands. At the end he received palliative treatment
at the Duchess of York Hospice in Reading, a place for which he was full
of praise.
Michael died on 18 September 2005 and is survived by his wife and family.