Mick May obituary

My father-in-law, Mick May, who has passedaway aged 63 of mesotheliomacancer, invested the veryfirst 20 years of his expert life in monetary services priorto understanding his real enthusiasm for the voluntary sector, and co-founding the charitable business Blue Sky. In the latter years of his life, Mick likewise included “author” to his list of honors, with the publication of his book Cancer and Pisces, commemorating his 2 chief enthusiasms in life: fishing and his household.

Described by the previous prime minister David Cameron as “the just business in the nation where you requirement a criminal record to work there”, Blue Sky was set up as a social business winning work from regional authorities and realestate associations, and satisfying the agreements with a laborforce of ex-offender staffmembers. Originating as a coupleof little groups in and around Slough in Berkshire and Hillingdon in west London, the charity grew into a acrossthecountry operation using more than 2,000 ex-offenders. In 2017 Blue Sky combined with the previous Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust to type the Forward Trust, and in 2016 Mick was selected OBE in acknowledgment of his work with ex-offenders.

Mick was born in Aldershot, Hampshire, to Peter May, a profession soldier understood as “Crackers” for his bold streak, and Liz (nee Parkin), a military partner. His early years were invested in Northumberland priorto he was registered in 1972 at Eton, where his high spirits and hostility to discipline resulted in him being sentout to the Aloisiuskolleg school in Germany for one term to tame his spirit; an workout that madeitpossiblefor him to see through the rest of his school profession at Eton. From there, he went on to St Andrews University to read history, a subject for which he brought an abiding love for the rest of his life. After finishing, Mick moved to London and embarked on his City profession where, gladly, he fulfilled Jill Langham, whom he married in 1988.

In 2013, Mick was identified with mesotheliomacancer, the terminal asbestos-linked cancer, which has an average life span of 10 months. Yet, inspiteof the chances being stacked versus him, Mick went on to delightin a evenmore 9 years, which he explained as the most efficient and happiest of his life, lotsof of which are remembered in his 2020 narrative, Cancer and Pisces.

The book charts Mick’s love of fishing and his days invested on the riverbanks of some of the most lovely parts of England and additional afield, set versus the background of his cancer treatment. Ultimately, though, the book is an ode to Mick’s betterhalf, Jill, and their 6 kids – Lara, Ivo (my spouse), Paddy, India-Rose, Honor and Daisy – whom he enjoyed increasingly and unquestionably. Following the publication of Cancer and Pisces, an fishing charity was set up under the verysame name, with the sole objective of utilizing the treatment of fishing to help those goingthrough the injury of cancer.

Mick is madeitthrough by Jill and their 6 kids, and his 2 brotherorsisters, Georgina and Sarah.