Captain Joseph Donald Jolley: An Obituary
Joseph Donald Jolley. Captain (retired) of the Corps of Royal Engineers who passed to higher service on November 29 1966, was in all respects, a career soldier, born of country stock, on January 30, 1911, at Waterlooville in the county of Hampshire, England, where he commenced his schooldays, later attending school in Clanfield, Hants.
At the age of 14, he gained entrance into the Army Technical School, at Chepstow and was trained in the Army trade of Electrician.
Later he transferred to The Royal Engineer Services in the accountancy branch. With the outbreak of hostilies in 1939, he servied with the British Expeditionary Force in France. He saw four years service in the Middle East, returning to London for a tour of duty, before being posted to Bermuda Garrison in 1946, as A.D.C.R.E in charge of R.E. Stores at Prospect.
He took an active part in the sporting life of the establishment, serving as a representative of S. and D. on the committees of the Bermuda Football Association and the B.C.A., two sports in which as a young man, he greatly excelled, as he also did in Services cross-country running.
On his retirement from the Service in 1949, he continued with his profession, as an accountant in a civilian capacity, eventually joining the Bermuda Crown Lands Corporation in 1954, where he remained until his demise.
Church Activities
Locally he took part in Wesleyan Church activities, the War Veterans Association, and continued his sporting interests, serving on the executive of the B.F.A. where in due time he was elected for a term as President.
His other main interset was in Freemasonry, in which fraternity he was highly esteemed for the past 18 years, the last eight of which he was the faithful and beloved Treasurer of the Bermuda Garrison Lodge. He also servied with the Bermuda Boy Scouts Association, as the Hon. Treasurer since 1956, and was ever keen to assist in any work among youth.
In character, "Don", Jolley was of a most self-effacting temperament, but when called upon to voice an opinion, it could always be relied that he would give a right decision, based on a wide and varied experience of a full life.
He was a lover of home life a good father and a devoted husband. He leaves bereaved his widow Phyllis, two daughters Mary (Mrs. Michael Smith) and Lesley, an aged father, a sister and four granchildren, with whom many friends in the community share a deep sense of loss.
