John O' Toole

[Martin Crichton]

I am sorry to report that I recently learned of my friend and fellow Irishman, John O' Toole's passing some time last year. I first met John in 1991 shortly after I came to the UK and joined Greenford chess club in West London where John was the captain for many years. John introduced me to the Cavendish chess club shortly afterwards. John also played with Ealing chess club and Hounslow chess club in later years.
While I lived in Greenford and later in Hayes I spent many an evening in John and Nancy's house playing chess and John was a good friend and father figure mentor to me. I do not know John's exact age but he was close to my fathers age which would have made him 87 or 88 at the time of his passing.
He had a wicked sense of humour and would make light of any situation especially making jokes to nurses about his own health condition in the last 15 years when he had cancers in the face.... John was the person that accompanied me to hospital in 2004 when I had a stomach ulcer...we went by bus.
pic attached of when my late partner and I visited John and Nancys house with our daughter on 25-04-2011 (my partner passed away in February this year)
John's other great passion besides chess was his following of Chelsea football club where he was a season ticket holder for many years.

[Jon Mahony]

Nice tribute Martin, and so sorry about the loss of your partner.