JACK Endacott, who was headmaster of Westmead Junior School in Chippenham for more than 20 years, has died at the age of 89.

He was born in Taunton, began his teaching career in Exeter and moved to Wiltshire in 1963 to become Deputy Headmaster of St Mary’s School in Purton.

Promotion took him to Chippenham where he remained at Westmead until early retirement on health grounds.

He was secretary of the Chippenham and District Branch of the National Union of Teachers from 1970 to 1988 during which he also served for a period as Wiltshire County President. 

Jack helped to form the Chippenham Players amateur dramatic society along with his wife Valerie. His was a behind the scenes role on the committee and as the group’s first President.

He first became involved with Calne Cricket Club in 1972 when it had very little money and only six members. He agreed to become secretary and was instrumental in helping the club’s revival. 

He eventually became club President and was delighted to see the progress the club has made, especially with the move to the new facilities at Beversbrook. His playing days long over, he was still a regular spectator at the ground and the club’s elder statesman, having been involved since before most of the current generation of players had been born.

Jack’s interest in cricket regularly took him back to Taunton where he had watched matches at the County Ground every year since 1936.

An active retirement, which lasted nearly as long as his teaching career, saw him become a founder member of the North Wilts Branch of U3A, eventually becoming its Chairman. Until the beginning of this year he was still running the monthly Music Appreciation Group which he hosted for more than 100 meetings.

His lengthy retirement was due in no small measure to, as Jack used to put it, “Some very clever surgeons.”

An operation and radiotherapy for cancer when he was 52 was followed by, among other things, major lung surgery, a heart attack and cancer again. 
Having been successfully treated for all of those, in the end, his family said, he just wore out. 

A private funeral will be followed by a memorial service at St Andrew’s Church in Chippenham when circumstances allow.