My Father in Law Donald Needham died last week at the age of 106 (that's right - he was born in Sheffield in Oct 1908).
After qualifying as a Cost and Works Accountant in the late 1920s he worked for Sheffield Corporation Transport for some years and, after the war, joined Newton Chambers as an Accountant and Financial Manager in the Chemicals Division.
When the NC Group was re-organised in 1960 Donald was appointed Director and General Manager of Izal Ltd and Chairman of Ronuk Ltd. In 1966 he moved to NC's Associate Company Wellman Engineering Ltd in the Midlands as General Manager to help sort out some of the problems they were having. In 1969 the Wellman Group was taken over by Clarke Chapman, and Donald retired in 1970.
I have some of Donald's notes which include names of the other Directors and senior managers appointed in 1960. They include two of the names mentioned by Gordon England in his last post: Ken Sheard and Mr SB Rippon were made Directors of Newton Chambers Engineering Ltd at that time.
Donald remained fit and well all his long life - he spent the last 10 years in Suffolk to be close to us, and will be buried next week here in our little country churchyard alongside his late wife Gwen. He died happy in the knowledge that Yorkshire are County Cricket champions as is only right and proper.
