Jonathan was the oldest child of Jack Hepworth and Anne Scott Stokes (Sidcot 1933-40, Head Girl). Through his maternal Grandmother Mary Elizabeth Morland, (Sidcot 1909-16) he was descended from a number of Quaker families whose Quaker roots go back to the early days of the Society. Several of his family served on the School Committee at one time or another, including his Mother, and several generations of  her ancestors.

He grew up in Glastonbury, attending Sidcot as a boarder at the age of eleven before moving on to Bootham after his O-levels.

After doing science A levels with a view to medical training, he spent time working as a nurse auxiliary in an old-fashioned psychiatric hospital. This was a sobering experience, at that time treatments were primitive and patients stayed in limbo for many years. Realising that his interests lay mainly in humanities and philosophy, Jon went to the University of Wales, Bangor with his wife Lucy (Coate, 1 yr younger at Sidcot). He much enjoyed and got a good degree in Philosophy, before deciding to do a postgraduate social work training at The University of Kent at Canterbury, which Lucy did also.  His work became increasingly specialised in child protection, fostering and adoption. He worked in London and Devon, becoming a senior manager in Devon Social Services, running the adoption teams and specialising in childcare law as it relates to child protection proceedings.

He ended his career as Group Operations Manager for Adoption Services, Devon County Council. He cared deeply about his work, which was so important to the lives of the children concerned.

Lucy and Jon separated after some years, and Jon formed two subsequent major relationships, the first, with Elena Bell, resulting in a much loved son, Tom, now 37.

Jon had a lifelong enjoyment of sailing, sparked by his Father during early holidays on the Norfolk Broads and in Devon; for many years he crewed for his Aunt, Susan Openshaw (nee Scott Stokes) (some time Chair of Sidcot School Committee)) in her Salcombe Yawl, and later with a former colleague, again out of Salcombe.

He was always a keen observer of nature, especially flowers and birds. He was a keen motorcyclist from his teens and, after a gap, he took this up again in later life.

Having bought a wonderful home in Charente twenty years ago, with one and a quarter acres (he had never previously shown interest in gardening) and subsequently retired,  he became immersed in, and deeply in love with, all things French, including its language, food, films and jazz. The birds and flowers that surrounded him and came into his garden gave him so much pleasure. With his then partner Rhona Henderson, he took up cycling, and would often recount tales of their favourite holiday together, cycling the canals from Bordeaux to the Mediterranean.

Jon’s other great interest was in family history, and he traced all branches of his ancestry as far as could be done. Using his skill at computer programming, he devised his own unique family tree program, covering several thousand ancestors, relations and connections. He also created and maintained a website devoted to his father, who had been an abstract painter in the 1930’s, and then a modernist architect.

Jonathan was a quiet, non-competitive, kind, funny and gentle person, who worked hard at those things that interested him. Two years ago he contracted a very aggressive cancer, which he bore very stoically, remaining cheerful and inspiring to those around him. 

Jonathan's memorial will be held on Sat 19th October, at 12pm noon, at the Street Quaker Meeting House, 36 High St, Street BA16 0EB. There will be tea and refreshments following the memorial service. 

Johnathan Hepworth