Dr. James Timothy Hessel “Tim” Pick (E 41-45) 1927-2020

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Sadly the OS Club has been informed Tim Pick (E 41-45) passed away on 7th July 2020, aged 92. A 1525 Member and Former Trustee from 2004-2010, Tim was a longtime, major supporter of the School. He had the honour of being the oldest living Wilson Run winner (1945), and while at School he was also a 1st XV rugby player and 1st XI cricketer. Please see below for an obituary:

Dr James Timothy Hessel Pick was born in Cleakheaton in 1927, the son of a General Practitioner. He moved to Barnsley in 1930 when his father took up the post of Pit Doctor at Wharncliffe Woodmoor Colliery. Educated at the Wells School in Ilkley and then at Sedbergh School, he went on to study medicine at Cambridge. He did his clinical studies at Leeds where both his father and brother graduated and qualified in medicine at Cambridge in 1952. His first hospital appointments were at the Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and after this he did his National Service in the Royal Army Medical Corps attached to the 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, serving in both Germany and Egypt.

On his return from National Service, he took up appointments in both Medicine and Paediatrics at the RAE Infirmary in Wigan. In 1957, he returned to Barnsley to help out in his father’s practice, due to his father’s illness, and stayed on for a futher year as a GP Trainee. UNdecided at the time whether to specialise in Paediatrics, his year in General Practice convinced him that this would be his future and to further this end, he took up a post in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the St Helen’s Hospital, Barnsley, returning to the family practice once again as a partner in 1959. He remained in the practice until his retirement in 1990. During this time, he served on the Local Medical Committee for some thirty years and twice served as President of the Barnsley British Medical Association. He was appointment a Magistrate in 1970 and served on both the Betting and Gaming Bench and the Liquor Licensing Bench.

1944 1st Xv
The 1st XV of 1944 – Tim is pictured front left

A keen athlete, he represented his school, college and regiment at both cricket and rugby. He had several trials for Yorkshire at rugby but never managed to gain a cap. Whilst at Sedbergh, he had the distinction of being both the runner-up and the winner of the 10-mile Wilson Run. In later life, he took a keen interest in squash and was a founder member of the Barnsley Squash Club and served as its Chairman for twelve years.

Please see below an accompanying personal message from Maurice Eggeling (P 37-39):

The OS Club brought me the report of Tim’s death. What it failed to disclose is how I should manage without Tim and all his engaging ways. It didn’t really matter with Tim, he was famous for his attraction to the school and his fascination with Sedbergh and all its ways. He was the first in the race of “The Ten” (as it’s become known) as a schoolboy competitor, to win the contest separately and on his own. As a single runner in such a contest that is a highly significant sporting achievement. But being Tim, he took it in his stride and didn’t make a performance.

I knew Tim “well” but knew little of his life as a practising physician. I knew he had an elder brother, to whom he was devoted and served without stint. He was also a close friend in the way of all these things at school; in other words, as a pupil and a staff member he was a thoroughly Sedberghian dependable personality.

A typical Tim Pick event would be a maelstrom of a kind of semi-riot with Tim in the middle, but when he looked about and saw where he was, he would wave an inclusive arm. That all embracing arm was in fact Tim remembering his friendship and signalling “give me a minute unlit I’ve done this lot and I’ll come round, we can talk. Don’t go away”.