George Thomas Towers (18 Apr 1924 - 30 Oct 2019)

In loving memory of George Thomas Towers who passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday 30th October 2019, aged 95 years. Dad was born in Marehay, just north of Derby to Alice May and Wilfred Towers. I recall him telling me that the first time he visited Blackpool he was 2 years of age. (he continued to visit on and off for the next 93 years) falling in love with the Tower Wurlitzer organ. He showed artistic tendencies from an early age and won an art scholarship at Derby Art school. One of his true talents was architecture and was invited to be tutored in this field, though in the mid to late 1930s war across Europe was brewing and he turned to Engineering at Rolls Royce working on the Merlin engines that powered the Spitfires, Hurricanes and Lancaster bombers that helped defeat the Axis powers. Dad was then called up to do his duty and after basic training in Lincoln (spending his free time studying the cathedral architecture), he spent some time at the Royal Military College of Science at Shrivenham in Wiltshire and with the Royal Artillery.
The war ended and back to civilian life, he ran several businesses in Derby over the years and during his last few years of working, he worked for a small engineering company, retiring around 60 years of age, which gave him ample time to be doing the things he loved. Painting, Organ music, and teaching and enriching his two Granddaughters Ruth and Eleanor in their formative years. Dad was a serious thinker and problem solver, he loved to get his "teeth " into something. I told a number of people that even at the turn of his 95th Birthday in April this year, he was still able to work mathematical problems out faster in his mind than I could do on a calculator!
We are thankful that since 2014, he was blessed with his great Grandchildren and right up to the last few days of his life, you could see how he was lifted by their presence. I was holding his hand as he slipped away at 08:18 on October 30th. Not only was he my father , but a close friend, teacher and a gentle man.