ILKLEY Rugby Club has paid tribute to a Past President who ‘everyone loved’.

Sir David Jones CBE, famed for being the man who turned around the fortunes of clothing retailer Next, died on Saturday, December 28. He was 76.

President of Ilkley Rugby Club for seven years, he stepped down from the role in 2019 due to ill health.

Sir David, who had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at the age of 39 though he kept the fact secret until 2001, had been in poor health in recent years.

Ilkley Rugby Club Chair Mike Halling said: “David loved being president, loved the job and loved the microphone - he loved standing up, giving speeches, telling jokes and amusing people!

“He was also very generous to the club and always looked after the boys and contributed to all the major projects.

“His illness did inhibit some of the things he could do but he was always happy to go to away matches when he could. And he gave a big business perspective that was very useful and helpful to me, and I enjoyed working with him.

“He’ll be missed: everyone loved him and he was a very interesting and self-effacing character.”

The club’s Facebook page announced his death on December 29, adding: “David was a generous man, a witty President and a great friend to Ilkley RFC and he will missed tremendously by all.”

Sir David was a co-founder of The Cure Parkinson’s Trust, which issued this tribute on its website: “It was through Sir David that CPT benefited from a major fundraising event organised by Next to start funding research into a cure for Parkinson’s with the Michael J Fox Foundation in 2006.

“Without his generous and unwavering support CPT would not have been able to achieve all it has done and continues to do. Our thoughts, gratitude and condolences are with David’s wife, Ann and his family.”

Sir David was responsible for turning Next into a powerhouse of the high street and guided its boss, Lord Simon Wolfson, when the current chief executive was his assistant during the 1990s.

Next said: “David’s blend of common sense, financial prudence and personal warmth has been an inspiration to all of those who have worked for him. He will be remembered by many of his colleagues as the man whose courage, good sense, kindness and hard work navigated the company through its most demanding moments in the late 1980s until his retirement in 2006.”