JEFFERY, Francis A R (Gaucho) passed away on 21st September 2019.

If you would like to send in an obituary for the next issue of the OI Journal please send to: 
oldipswichians@ipswich.school

Many thanks

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Francis “Gaucho” Jeffery 

OI 1954-1958 died 21st September 2019

When Francis arrived at Ipswich from Chile in 1954, he was nicknamed “Gaucho” which remained with him all his life.

At school he made lifelong friends including Mike Fenn, with whom he worked to re-establish both the Fives courts and the game. In later years his flat in central London was a meeting place for his Fives contemporaries.

He qualified as a Building Surveyor and worked in the UK, Portugal and Oman. There he was a surveyor to the Sultan and was involved in various projects in the southern province of Dhofar, including a palace, a mosque and, most unusually, a camel milking parlour to stop the Sultan getting sand in his camel’s milk!

In 2002 he retired to Portugal, something he had always wanted to do as it reminded him of his homeland. He had cycled aged 20 from Lisbon to Porto to see some other friends from Ipswich, who were working in a Port Lodge in the Douro valley. It was the beginning of his love of Portugal.

 His ashes are being taken by the family home to Chile and a final resting place in Patagonia.