A FAMILIAR face around Wellington, Jacobus Bellekom, known to everyone as John, has died aged 90 after a short illness.

John was a newsagent and window cleaner before retirement, as well as being a keen gardener, selling plants to local shops.

Born in Warmond, he grew up in war-occupied Holland before going on to become the youngest sergeant major in the Dutch army, serving in Indonesia. Leaving the forces, he came to England with the family bulb business, before first arriving in Wellington in 1951 to work at Frank Rowe’s world-famous chrysanthemum nursery.

Almost within days his landlady took him to a Labour Party Social to meet local people. That he did in the form of Joy Rowsell, daughter of noted rugby player and newsagent Bill. It was truly love at first sight and they were soon engaged and married in January 1954. Together they had four children and seven grandchildren.

John took over the paper business upon Bill’s retirement, using the skittle alley at the now-demolished Sportsman pub, then known as the Railway Hotel, as the sorting warehouse in the very early hours of every Sunday morning. John and Joy retired to Beech Court, celebrating their diamond wedding anniversary with a large family reunion travelling along the West Somerset Railway.

John’s funeral service will be held at St John Fisher’s Church, Mantle Street, Wellington at 1.30pm on Friday, January 27, followed by a private cremation.