Obituaries: John Stephenson

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Camden New Journal - OBITUARY
Published: 17 July 2008

John Stephenson

Preservation of Heath owed something to John’s science

JOHN Stephenson, who has died, applied his scientific training and analytical mind into helping preserve the beauty of Hampstead Heath. A retired civil servant, he lived for many years in Dartmouth Park and became active on the Heath’s consultative committee.
He campaigned to get swathes of grass cut to help allergy sufferers and helped ensure the views and needs of people with disabilities were represented to Heath managers. He also fought to get the City of London to take the words ‘Kite Hill’ from their maps and reinstate its proper name, Parliament Hill.
John was born in Westcliff-on-Sea in 1927. His father worked for a bank, and his family had been entrepreneurs, at one point owning a firework factory. His childhood on the east coast installed a lifelong love of the sea and swimming: he was a regular at the Lido and the Men’s Ponds – he joined the swimming club, the Highgate Lifebuoys and cared deeply about how they were maintained.
After demobilisation he went to Pembroke College, Cambridge, to study natural sciences. Although not a keen sportsman, he won “oars” for representing the college at rowing.
In 1954, after graduating, he married Charlotte: her family had lived in Grove Terrace and he first discovered the Heath when she took him to Kentish Town to meet his potential in-laws.
John joined Shell Oil in the 1950s. They were posted abroad, spending time in Holland. In 1965 they travelled to India with their two young sons. They planned to sail from Liverpool but John delayed embarking because of conflict between India and Pakistan.
John then flew his family to Cairo and they caught the ship in time to travel through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea and then up across the Indian Ocean. The family returned to Dartmouth Park after two years in New Delhi and John became a civil servant.
His Whitehall career was wide and varied: his work ranged from negotiating airport access for British aircraft around the world to working to help the Cornish tin industry. He always enjoyed Cornwall, where he would surf using a board dating from his childhood.
After retiring aged 65, John had more time to devote to the Heath.
He was interested in the management of grassland, and in 2002 voluntarily measured the use of bicycles on the Heath as part of a study to see whether there was a need for more cycle paths. Other passions included a love of Laurel and Hardy films.
DAN CARRIER

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