It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Jim Somerville who died recently.

Jim’s involvement with judo began in 1979 when he acted as competition time keeper and scorer. He soon took on other responsibilities, becoming recorder in 1981, and then competition controller in 1982.

During his long involvement with the world of judo, he was appointed North West Area Secretary, a position he retired from in 1991.

In 1992 he took on the job of BJA Dan Grade Registrar, and applied his considerable administrative skills and methodical approach to the task of transferring paper records to a computer system to enable digital record keeping. He continued in his role as Registrar for almost twenty years, carrying out the task with his characteristic reliability and good humour.

In 2002 Jim was awarded life membership of the BJA in recognition of his services to judo, and in 2010 he received the BJA President’s Award.

Jim retired from his position as Dan Grade Registrar in 2011 and was awarded an Honorary Dan Grade for his many years of distinguished service to the Association.

Please see below for details of his funeral:

Service

Tuesday 21 August

1430

Overdale Crematorium – West Chapel

Overdale Drive

Chorley New Road

Bolton

BL1 5BN

Followed by refreshments – location to be confirmed

If you are planning to attend it would be greatly appreciated if you could RSVP (jsblue49@gmail.com).

His family have requested that it is family flowers only at the funeral please. If you wish to make a donation in Jim’s memory, the family have chosen to donate to St Ann’s Hospice, Little Hulton.

You can donate at:

www.sah.org.uk  or call 0161 498 3631

By post to:

Fundraising Department – St Ann’s Hospice
St Ann’s Road North
Heald Green
Cheadle
Cheshire
SK8 3SZ