Obituaries (print edition)

It is with great sadness that I report the passing away of George Floyd – always an immaculately dressed larger-than-life character.

Derek Billings has died at the age of 86. For half a century he was an important player in the collecting world of Doulton art pottery. His late wife Kay was a very supportive partner in forming the collection.

Peter Willet (1941-2019), known affectionately to all as Mick, has died suddenly.

Retired art dealer Patrick Payne, formerly of Arden Gallery, Henley-in-Arden, and later of Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire, has died at his daughter’s home in London aged 86.

Polymath, collector, kind and generous with his time and knowledge, Michael died on his 61st birthday surrounded by his family.

A personal tribute to Michael Bing by Simon Berti, formerly of Auction Technology Group.

Obituaries for dealers Stephen Lunn and Chris Martin.

We regret to announce the death of Michael Bing (1959-2019), senior director at Sotheby’s, following a long illness. Michael’s funeral will be held at noon on Friday, April 5, at Mortlake Crematorium in London. A full appreciation will appear in a future issue.

Book dealer Martin Woolf Orskey, who died in December, aged 93, was a familiar figure in the trade. Indeed, OF Snelling, in his book Rare Books and Rarer People, published in 1982, described him as the “prince of all the book runners – for this is what he was to begin with, and he would be the first to admit it".

We regret to announce the death on March 15 of John Green, aged 86. The elder brother of Richard Green, the two men began their art dealing careers in the early 1950s working for their father James Green, before setting up in business together in Jermyn Street, specialising in Old Master and British paintings.

Jeff Day was born in Weston-super-Mare in 1952 and grew up in Somerset.

Paul Treadaway, antique dealer and gilder, died on March 5 after a long illness. He will be sadly missed by his family, friends and colleagues.

Our very special and beloved father, Evert (Everardus Josephus Maria) Douwes, passed away on March 6 at the age of 90.

The family of Graham Wells of Summers Davis Antiques Wallingford are very sad to announce his death.

As reported in this week’s Dealers’ Diary, Jupiter Antiques is holding the first spring exhibition in its 35-year history. It takes place within an outside organised event (Penman Fairs), The Chelsea Antiques Fair. Five collections feature, including hundreds of pieces put together by the late Dr Trevor Darling, who died last year. Ahead of the fair Jupiter Antiques has paid tribute to him.

Tony Parkinson, who died suddenly just after Christmas, at the age of 75, was a much-respected and well-loved book dealer in Southport for over 40 years. He opened Parkinson’s Books in its current location on Lord Street in 1981, specialising in antiquarian books, of which he had an encyclopaedic knowledge.

Alfies Antiques Market has paid tribute to one of its dealers, Paola Noé, who died on January 19.

It is with regret we announce the death of John Frederick Braund of Turpin’s Antiques, who passed away peacefully on January 29, aged 90.

John Bedford of William Bedford was one of the major dealers in antique furniture in London in the 1970s and for the next 35 years dominated his corner of the trade.

Lawrences of Crewkerne has just announced, with great sadness, the unexpected death of Jeff Day, the auction house’s militaria specialist.