Respected solicitor and pillar of community dies aged 90

A RESPECTED solicitor who was a prominent figure in many of Bexhill's best-known institutions has died aged 90.

Timothy Yearwood's funeral took place in St Augustine's Church on Monday, February 1. Described as "one of the old school, who just never gave up," by his wife Susan, Tim not only rose to senior partner in Yearwood and Griffiths, now a part of Gaby Hardwicke, but was also involved in the Rotary Club, the Past Rotarians and the Bexhill Round Table.

John Raeburn, who joined Tim's firm as junior partner in 1968, said: "He was an old-time family solicitor who took a close personal interest in his clients affairs."

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Tim was born in Bridgetown, Barbados, where his father was principal of solicitors Yearwood and Boyce, which still practises today.

After following three generations of his family to school in Kings, Canterbury, he studied law at Downing College, Cambridge, where he won a half-blue for fencing.

He played an active part in D-Day, landing on Gold Beach with the Royal Artillery a few days after the initial landing, and trained as a solicitor above HSBC bank in Devonshire Road - then the Midland Bank.

As well as being chairman of the Round Table and member of the Rotary Club and Past Rotarians, Tim was a freemason and regular member of both Cooden Beach and Highwoods golf club, where he was the oldest member.

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More than 150 cards and messages of support have been sent to Susan, who cited some of the words used to describe her husband: "Very respected, a fun and special person, knowledgeable, a generation above, who never took advantage, the old school and a gentleman."

He is survived by Susan and a son, Michael, from his first marriage.

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