Jack Boles

Sir John Dennis Boles (25 June 1925 – 1 July 2013) was a British Colonial Service officer in North Borneo, and later in England worked for the National Trust, serving as its Director-General from 1975 to 1983.

Early life A son of Geoffrey Boles, an officer in the Royal Navy, Boles was born at Southsea, Portsmouth, while his father was attached to HMS Vernon, the navy's on-shore School of Gunnery. His father later became a land agent in Devon and the family settled at Talaton, near Ottery St Mary. The young Boles was educated at West Downs School and Winchester College, and in 1943 on leaving school he joined the British Army.

Career In November 1944 Boles was commissioned into the Rifle Brigade, but a motorcycle accident kept him out of the fighting in Europe. From 1945 to 1946 he was stationed in Egypt.

Boles died from pulmonary fibrosis and heart failure at his home in Talaton, Devon, on 1 July 2013, aged 88.

Honours Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), 1960 Knight Bachelor (Kt), 1983 Deputy lieutenant of Devon (DL) High Sheriff of Devon 1993-94