Peter Gant died on 27 December 2022 after a long (95 years) and happy life.

A ready smile and good fortune seemed to accompany Dad across his entire life. And an early such break was to be one of four boys in his year group to secure a scholarship to Hymers, where he attended from 1938 to 1943. While his lack of a Prep School education left him initially slightly out of the swim, he soon got the hang of things and made many friends, three of whom became lifelong family friends.

Dad was part of the cohort evacuated to Pocklington during the Hull blitz, where he was billeted with a young couple. He talked of fun and pillow fights with the other Hymers boy he shared a room with, and he stayed in contact with the host family for many years.

Dad left school at 16 and joined Midland Bank. But once 17 he volunteered, along with three Hymers friends, to join the forces and so World War 2. He signed up with the Kings Royal Rifles, a regiment that was very much in the front line during the Normandy campaign. But he was too young by just a few months to see active service. Instead, he ended his army career in Italy, a member of the combined UK/American forces patrolling the newly-drawn border between Italy and Yugoslavia. He loved this time and talked of spending his free days swimming in the sea off beautiful but deserted beaches. These experiences gave him a lifelong love of travel.

Once back on civvy street Dad returned to the Midland Bank (where he ultimately became what used to be known as a Bank Manager, running the Wakefield branch) and had the great good fortune to meet and woo the girl who was to become our mother. They, Margaret and Peter, celebrated 70 years of marriage in June 2022.

While Dad enjoyed his early roles in the bank, particularly his time teaching new recruits at the training school in Harrogate, he didn’t thrive on the broader responsibilities of management and was delighted to secure early retirement at a youthful 56. He’d always imagined that this would be a bed of roses but was in reality soon bored. So he went back to work--full time for the charity Age Concern until he was 70 and then in various part-time or voluntary roles until he was 80!

Dad spent his final years, fit, active and as happy as ever, overlooking the River Skell in Ripon. He ultimately saw a decline into dementia but lived at home with Mum until the end. He is much missed by Mum, my sister Jane and me, three grandchildren and multiple great grandchildren. But we all have nothing except happy and fond memories of a lovely, smiling, lucky man.

Paul Gant