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John followed in the footsteps of three of his father’s cousins by entering Sanderson’s House in 1950. He loved his time at the College, since alongside academia, where interest lay in modern languages, it opened the door to so many opportunities (including racket sports, scouting and a stint as ‘official’ school photographer, which sparked a lifelong interest).
On leaving Lancing, he gained the necessary professional qualifications to become a Chartered Quantity Surveyor and so allow him to follow family footsteps into the firm of John Leaning & Sons (founded in London in 1868 by his Great Grandfather). He soon found himself involved in many building projects – including Government schemes in Whitehall and across most of the London Boroughs (plus overseeing Contracts in many other parts of the UK).
He also acted in Court as an ‘Expert Witness’ in building industry disputes and, like his forebears, became heavily involved on committees within the R.I.C.S. – eventually becoming Chairman of the Central London Branch. He later went on to serve in different capacities on the Court of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors, having become a Freeman of the City of London.
He led an equally full social life in Welwyn, Farnham (Surrey) and latterly Sherborne - where he became enthusiastically involved in the many social and fund-raising activities connected with clubs like Round Table. His interest in tennis (garnered at Lancing) was rekindled in 1997, when it heralded the start of 18 years as an Honorary Steward at the Wimbledon Championships. John and I married in 1967, having met while fell-walking in my beloved Lake District, and we had the good fortune to travel the world – sharing 56 years of love, laughter and fun, before his sad demise in August aged 86.
Sheila Leaning