This obituary of Stephen’s son, Sean, was first published in the Eynsham Roundabout shortly after his death on 7 February 2012. The photo with trademark bow tie is unfortunately undated.
For many years he was on Eynsham Parish Council and a trustee of the Eynsham Consolidated charity. He was born in Limerick Ireland on 27 November 1928. In about 1933 the family moved to England for a better life. They settled in the Woolwich docks area of south east London Later the family moved to Welling in Kent from where they were evacuated during the blitz and found themselves in Eynsham with their gas masks, a few possessions and the clothes they stood in. They lived in Swinford just beyond Eynsham toll bridge. Life was simple and perhaps hard by today's standards - part of a bygone age. The family became well known in Eynsham, Tom in particular was a renowned but lovable handful. Stephen attended the Board School in Witney Road obtaining a very good leaving report at 14. He enjoyed sport and played cricket and football later partnering his brother Pat in a village team. I understand that by the rules of today's game both boys, but particularly Pat, would have been red carded in the first fifteen minutes of any game!
At 15 Stephen gained an engineering apprenticeship at Morris Motors in Oxford, where he was a toolmaker and later a draughtsman. In 1947 at 18 he was called up for National Service. He enjoyed his time serving his Country and trained as a wireless operator in the days of Morse Code. After National Service he went back to Morris Motors, finishing his apprenticeship under the wings of Sir Alec Issigonis, the designer of the Morris Minor and the Mini. Stephen played a part in the design of the Morris Minor and attended night school four days a week until he was 28, gaining technical and academic qualifications. Self education was something that stayed with him throughout his life. He did numerous night school courses and studied at the Open University gaining an impressive list of letters after his name and membership of a number of professional engineering bodies including the Institute of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
In 1950 the family moved to a better house in Cumnor but Stephen continued to socialise in Eynsham, going to dances at the Sports and Social Club wearing a very natty bow tie to the amusement of all but himself! He met Myrtle Spicer at one of these social events and they eventually got married at St Peter's Church in 1957. They lived first in Oxford and in 1958 Patrick was born. Then between 1958 and 1966 they moved between Paignton in Devon, Bodmin in Cornwall and Cannock Chase in Staffordshire. I (Sean) was born in Paignton in 1961. Stephen worked as a design engineer for companies such as Ranco and English Electric. It was there that he designed part of the joystick for the Lightning Fighter Plane and for the inside of a fridge door.
Myrtle always missed Eynsham and her Mum there, so in 1966 we moved back to Eynsham to John Lopes Road. Patrick and I wanted for nothing and had a very settled upbringing in the village. A typical night would have Mum and Nanny Spicer slicing and blanching allotment grown vegetables, whilst drinking Guinness. Dad worked for many years as a chief production engineer for Smith's Industries in Witney, and later for an engineering firm at Enstone Airfield, then Oxford Magnet Technology, and then with Lucy's in Oxford, a family firm which he loved. Then came the time when he was planning to retire and travel more with Mum, but sadly she died suddenly at home in April 1991. In the end he acquired a new lady in his life whom he cared for till her death in 2010 and at some point he acquired the infamous blue fisherman's cap which he wore without fail thereafter together with a dapper red cravat. His funeral at St Peter's was attended by many local people as well as the family. A local character who will be much missed.