John Doughty 1941 – 2009
“To Live In Hearts We Leave Behind Is Not To Die.”
The death of John Doughty was a great shock to family, friends and business colleagues. He was known to many hundreds of quilters the length and breadth of the country, with his fabric stands at many major quilting shows and his road show of fabrics that he took to many smaller places for quilters. His ready smile, welcoming hug and willingness to find you just the right fabric was his trademark welcome. The customer came first and you were as important to him whether you bought a fat quarter or several metres of fabric.
John was born in the lovely seaside place of Lytham St. Anne’s in Lancashire but the family was in textiles and John grew up at its centre in Manchester. After he left school he travelled a little and ended up in New York and then went on to the hippie scene on the west coast of America, with long hair and the flared pants of the 1960s. He returned England and in 1967 his family moved to Hereford, where his father set up a family business in dress and furnishing fabrics in wholesale and retail. John, who had worked in both Harrods and John Lewis in London, quickly learned his way around all the wholesale outlets with his brother and father. This stood him in good stead when the quilting world began to expand and cotton fabrics became the mainstay of his business by the 1990s. He married Ruth in 1974 and they had two children. He later bought Ruth a haberdasher’s shop as a present!
John, a Freemason, was a most generous man who supported many local charities and his own local village of Burghill. His own generosity was reflected in a Celebration Memorial Service held in the Burghill Church on the 12th of January 2009. Indeed, it was a wonderful celebration of his life, with an over-flowing church. There were people from all over the country as well as his family from New Zealand.
He is survived by Ruth, their children Matthew and Emma and her children Chloe and Kara. John was very pleased when Matthew joined the family firm, bringing in new technology via the website and his own ready smile for everyone.
John will be sadly missed but he will live in many hearts.
Sheilah Daughtree
John’s last few days were spent in St Michael’s Hospice, Bartestree, Herefordshire where he still focused on fabrics and quilts, noticing that the patchwork quilts on the beds were looking very faded. In memory of John; Ruth, Matthew and Emma have set up the ‘Sunrise Quilts for John Appeal’. (His hospital bed faced East and each morning as the curtains were drawn back, he saw the sun rise). They are asking for quilts, suitable for men and women, 45” x 55” or 50” square to be made for the hospice, so they will need to be closely quilted to stand up to the heavy amount of laundering they will go through.
If you or your group would like to make a quilt, please go to www.doughtysonline.co.uk and click on ‘Contact Us’ to let the family know.
Dianne Huck
