John Cleeve, G3JVC – 14 January 2025

I’m so sad to announce the death of my father John Cleeve, G3JVC, after a short illness on 14 January 2025. Born in Paddington in 1935 he would have been 90 in August this year. Dad gained his radio licence in his teenage years (though his first interest was through the cubs age 8), and was a telegraphist in the RAF, including a stint in Germany, during three years of national service. In later life he worked for the BBC – first as an engineer in the television studios and then for BBC Monitoring where he put his morse skills to good use. His time with the BBC included a posting at the British Embassy in Stockholm and he was delighted when years later I joined the Diplomatic Service. He was a member of the First Class CW Operators’ Club until 2019, a member of the RAF Amateur Radio Society and a volunteer operator of the former Science Museum radio station GB2SM. He recently celebrated 66 years as a member of the Radio Society of Great Britain.  My sister and I grew up to the sounds of morse code drifting out of his radio shack, and we always had to explain to friends what the huge aerial in the garden was. When we were older we sometimes accompanied him to radio society dinners and events – including at the Agricultural College in Cheltenham and on HMS Belfast.

A child of the wartime era and an engineer, Dad did not believe in throwing things away that might be useful, believing instead in mending everything, and in his ability to do so – even into his 80s. He always said that he only felt 25 inside and right up until a few weeks before he died he was working on yet more projects – this time refurbishing Claude Butler bicycles. Ever a creative problem solver, fed up of radio conditions in the London area, and wanting more space for his hobbies, in 2009 he bought part of an ex-RAF airfield ‘The Old Wireless Station’ in Whithorn, Scotland. Not wanting to worry about having a radio mast in the ground through all weathers, instead he bought a retired ‘Bronto Skylift’ fire engine from a Kent fire service, the idea being that he could simply put an aerial on the end of the extendable ladder. Getting the skylift up to Scotland and housing it was no mean feat, but he was delighted to be the owner of a fire engine – it was another toy to play with. On a more practical note he also designed a rubber loop antenna for communications in caving.

Dad was a traditionalist – he stuck to morse code communication on air – and enjoyed long conversations with people rather than the quick contact competitions. Amateur radio gave him friends all over the world and he enjoyed meeting them when they came to London. He would recommend taking a boat along the Thames from Westminster to Hampton Court Palace near where he lived. Closer to home he was always happy to help someone to fix their system, or to help a family sort out the equipment when someone became Silent Key. Off air Dad enjoyed good food, listening to the radio, trains – particularly steam engines, driving his 35 year old Volvo, time with his family and the company of cats. He was always there, ready to offer advice and a cup of tea, or to share a bottle of wine and nibbles, and he will be much missed.

He is survived by his wife Gil, daughters Catherine and Margaret and 5 grandchildren.

Catherine

Catherine has asked that we include her email address so that people can share their recollections of her father as these have given the family comfort catherine.cleeve@fcdo.gov.uk

Category: Silent Keys