A long-standing and much-admired Marlow Bottom resident has died aged 93.

John Holles was a familiar face around the village, with resident Peter Kemp saying he would be “sorely missed” by his friends.

Mr Holles was born on August 4, 1924 and, when he was five-years-old, his commissionaire father Nathaniel bought a plot of land in New Road and built a small property for his family.

In April 1931, Nathaniel and his wife Edith left Willesden and moved into their Marlow Bottom home with their five children – Joan, Madeleine, John, Celia and Robert.
Nathaniel retired in 1957 and built the current house in New Road, which Mr Holles lived in until his death on March 1.

Mr Holles joined the army at the age of 14 and trained as a draughtsman with the Chatham Royal Engineers, before leaving and working for radio and electrical manufacturing firm Airmec, in High Wycombe.

After the company closed down, he took a job as an orthopaedic plasterer at Wycombe General Hospital, retiring in 1989 at the age of 69.

He also wrote around 25 articles about the history of Marlow Bottom, with Mr Kemp saying without the articles, Marlow Museum’s 2017 exhibition – From Tin Town to Des. Res. The Story of Marlow Bottom – would have “lacked scope and depth”.

He said: “As recently as some seven months before his death, John continued to be a familiar – and much admired – figure beetling up and down New Road and along Marlow Bottom to the shops, only rather grudgingly accepting the offer of a lift in inclement weather. 

“He was a lovely man – a real gentleman – and he will be sorely missed by his many friends.

“Future generations of Marlow Bottom residents can only benefit from the memories he left us.”