Philanthropist Jack Petchey, whose charitable trust has invested over £170m in youth projects over the past 25 years, has died aged 98.
A statement from the Jack Petchey Foundation reads: “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Sir Jack Petchey CBE who passed away today, 27 June at his home in Wapping aged 98 years.
“He will be greatly missed by friends and family and by the many young people, teachers and youth leaders whose lives have been impacted by the work of his foundation.”
Petchey set up the foundation in 1999 to support people aged 11 to 25 in Essex and London.
‘Entrepreneurial spirit’
The foundation said its founder came from “humble beginnings”, born in 1925 to poor working-class parents in Plaistow, east London and grew up in Manor Park.
Petchey left school aged 13 without any qualifications and began working for a local greengrocer.
The foundation said that one day a member of his school board saw him on a delivery run, and the school took the greengrocer and Petchey’s parents to East Ham police court to charge them with underage working.
“The evidence used was that Sir Jack was carrying vegetables, but the case was dismissed under the technicality that he was carrying tomatoes, which are, in fact, a fruit,” it said.
“Sir Jack says for the rest of his life this encouraged him to ‘think outside the box’.
“Through his entrepreneurial spirit he became one of Britain’s most successful businessmen.
“This enabled him to achieve his ambition of giving young people the opportunities and confidence he lacked as a child.
“As he always told young people ‘If you think you can, you can’.”
The foundation added: “Messages have already started pouring in from the young people and families whose lives he touched.”
Petchey is survived by his wife Lady Frances Petchey, his daughters Jackie, Susan and Amanda and his grandchildren and great grandchildren.
A private funeral service will be held for family and friends, and an event to celebrate his life is to be announced in due course.
Those wishing to leave a message of condolence can do so here.
