THE family and former colleagues of a popular teacher who died aged just 48 came together to pay tribute to him for the 16th annual John Jones Memorial Golf Day.

Former Croesyceiliog school teacher John Jones died from a heart attack. His son Alex, 35, paid tribute to his father following the event.

He said: “Dad made a big impact on everyone he taught and everyone he met.

“He was really enthusiastic about his job and teaching. Nearly every single student I have spoken to that he taught would say how much he put in and would help them.

“The teachers there were very close and friendly with him. It’s very positive to see all of the old teachers come along every year, and it’s good to see new teachers that didn’t know him but have heard about him through working at the school.

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“I was pretty young when he died. I was still 18 and in university.

“I have fantastic memories. It was me, my mum, my sister and my dad. We were a very close-knit family.

“Both me and my sister attended Croesyceiliog school when my dad taught there. It was nice sometimes, but embarrassing at others.

“He was fit and healthy. He was very aware of his cholesterol and lived a very healthy lifestyle.

“The school is close to our hearts and it means a lot that they are still involved in fundraising in his memory.”

South Wales Argus:

(Former Croesyceiliog school science teacher John Jones. Picture: Alex Jones.)

For the past 16 years, the Jones family, along with Croesyceiliog school, have held a memorial golf day at Greenmeadow Golf Club in memory of John, and to raise money for the Royal Gwent and St Woolos Hospitals Cardiology Fund.

“Dad wasn’t actually an avid golfer,” said Alex. “He had a set of clubs and taught me how to play, but he was mostly into football.

“We thought that golf was the best way to get everyone together every year.

“The first year the participants were mostly family and a couple of close friends. It has snowballed every year to a lot of family and friends and friends of friends. This year, we had about 60 players.”

The day raised £1,632 for the Royal Gwent and St Woolos Hospitals Cardiology Fund, taking the total amount raised in memory of Mr Jones to more than £23,000

South Wales Argus:

(Steve Richards (second from right), chairman of the Royal Gwent & St Woolos Hospitals Cardiology Fund, receives a cheque for £1,636 from Nigel Pryce (Head of PE), Jane Healey (John’s sister) and Alex Jones (John’s son). Picture: The Royal Gwent and St Woolos Hospitals Cardiology Fund.)

Steve Richards, chairman of the fund, said that the money raised would go towards providing “state-of-the-art digital technology that will put training in The Royal Gwent at the very cutting edge of spectacular teaching aids.”

Reflecting on the day, Mr Jones said: “Hopefully his memory will be remembered for years to come. I’m hoping to play in this memorial for years to come and hopefully my children will be able to carry on from me.”

To find out more, visit the John Jones Golf Day Facebook page. Any new players and members that knew John or were taught by him are welcome.