The Sheffield Spectator - Gerry Scholes

Hi Max108

Sorry I cant be any help to you in tracing your fathers relatives. Jerry spoke

frequently about his brother, but in the many years I new Jerry, never

met your father.

Best of luck in your efforts.

O.S.

Dear Sparky and Max,

I've only just stumbled across this. I couldn't email as I'm supposed have 5 posts to do this. Writing from Perth, Western Australia, I doubt if I'll ever see the need.

Gerry Scholes gave me my very first job in Singapore in 1986. He was, 'til today, the best and fairest employer I've ever had the pleasure of working for. He took a genuine interest in his employees. I was 26 at the time, fresh out of university, and Singapore was undergoing a very painful recession. He'd been employed by the The Singapore Tatler, owned by one Guy Waite in the UK.

We lost touch over the years and I'm saddened to read of his and Pat's passing. He was a bon vivant and loved his food and drink but was never a drunkard, in fact, always the perfect gentleman and one of the most positive-minded people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Yes, being "embarrasingly well" was one of his trademarks. I also recall when somebody rang him to make an appointment, he'd flip through his desk diary and remark something to the effect that; "Well my diary says it's a public holiday in Canada but I can meet up with you".

He was a very curious man with an immense interest in culture and geography. He took the opportunity whilst in Singapore to travel around Asia and found the experience enriching.

Max, as you're reading this, I can tell you that your uncle Gerry loved your dad and though alike, from what Gerry told me; your father was a very larger than life person!

I'm not trying to embarrass you here, I can only say what Gerry often took great pride in relating to me in all good humour. I was there, I think in 1987, when Gerry got the phone call in his office about his brother's passing. He was stoic about it but you could feel his pain.

He recalled with gusto how your father had several ex-wives and at the most recent of his wedding dinners, managed to party hard and succeed in outraging the more genteel of the women there - he'd hired a stripper! I can still recall Gerry saying to me; "My mother wanted to leave, my wife did leave!"

Other snippets I recall were that Gerry was well on his way to being a doctor. He studied medicine for almost 5 years and gave it away which I think was the medical field's loss as he was incredibly bright. "I just didn't see myself as a doctor." he said. He developed The Singapore Tatler into a good money making enterprise before being assigned to set up the The Malaysia Tatler.

If there are any relatives of Mr. Scholes reading this, please accept my best wishes.