The ICCM Journal | Summer 2022 | V90 No. 2
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Jack Maher : an obituary John Whitworth Maher was born on 5th July 1935 in Failsworth, Manchester, his dad was Cornelius John and his mum, Ida. Jack, as he was always known, was educated during WW 2 and left school at 15 and began his career at Failsworth cemetery in Manchester which opened in 1887. Jack had a keen interest in horticulture and spent many years at night school obtaining his horticultural qualifications, a subject for which he later in his life was a tutor for the Institute of Burial and Cremation Administration, forerunner of the ICCM. Jack carried out his national service in Germany in the medical corps returning to Failsworth cemetery. Jack had discovered a real feel for cemetery work and would spend his mornings in the cemetery digging graves and related tasks and enjoying the horticultural elements of the job. In the afternoons he would be found in the office dealing with administrative tasks such as writing up the burial registers. Working in the burial and cremation sector became a vocation and consequently Jack enrolled as a student member of the IBCA in 1958. Jack met his wife Janet while ice skating at Stretford ice rink and they were married in 1959. Soon after Jack obtained a new job at nearby Rochdale cemetery and crematorium. Jack and Janet’s first daughter Debz was born in the cemetery lodge. Jack was by this time studying for his IBCA examinations and progressing well and was awarded his final diploma in 1965. In order to progress his career Jack changed his job a number of times: to Liverpool, Toxteth cemetery, to Leeds and in 1966 to Grove Park in South London. Jack and Janet's second daughter Sarah was born in 1969 while the family were living in the cemetery lodge at Grove Park cemetery. In 1974 Jack became responsible for the parks and cemeteries as well as the crematorium, for the London Borough of Lewisham. This was a big job with acres of cemeteries, wonderful parks, and a golf course at Beckenham Place Park. Huge numbers of plants were grown for the borough as well under Jack’s enthusiastic supervision. I joined Jack’s staff at Lewisham crematorium in May 1975 as an assistant superintendent, and this was a wonderful job for me to gain a wide experience with so many burials taking place across four open cemeteries as well as around 1400 cremations. Jack encouraged me from day one to get involved in every aspect of the job. One of Jack’s mantras was that he would never ask anyone to do a job that he had not himself done or be prepared to do. This has stood me in good stead over the years. After three years or so, Jack persuaded me that I was quite capable of shouldering the responsibility of management and encouraged me to apply for the superintendent and registrar's job at Parndon Wood crematorium and cemetery, an application that was successful and it was this move that set me off on my career path. Thank you, Jack. In the mid 1970’s common graves were in regular use and the grave giggers at Hither Green cemetery would regularly dig graves sixteen feet deep! This would cause the health and safety officer to pass out these days. Jack was always involved with the IBCA and ensured that he and I at least attended every IBCA branch meeting which were held four times a year. To illustrate Jack’s commitment Danny Corr, the manager of Peterborough crematorium has written the following text: I first met Jack when I was in my 20’s, I was a gravedigger when he became the director for cemeteries and crematorium at Peterborough City
