JOHN ERNEST CORNWALL LEWIS-CROSBY, OBE, BA, HDip Ed ARAM, was born in Dublin on June 24th, 1919, son of the Rev and Mrs Ernest Cornwall Lewis-Crosby, Dean of Christ Church Cathedral. He attended Harrow School and went on to read philosophy, politics and economics at Trinity College, Dublin. After graduating he taught at Castle Park Preparatory School until he saw war service with the Irish Guards.
After the war, John studied singing at the Royal Academy of Music in London and later in Vienna. He returned to Dublin to work at Radio Eireann, first as a founder-member of Radio Eireann Singers and then as manager of the Radio Eireann Symphony and Light Orchestra. His musical experience led to appointment as secretary-general of CEMA (the then Arts Council of Northern Ireland) where his responsibilities included the visual arts, thus gaining first-hand knowledge of the vigorous school of Ulster painters. Music was one of his main loves, and he was particularly pleased with the first production of Wagner's The Ring at The Royal Opera House.
He went on to spend the next twenty years as director of the National Trust of Northern Ireland (1960-1979). During his tenure with the trust, John oversaw a large growth in acquisitions. Of the many properties acquired he was particularly pleased to have gained Mount Stewart, The Agrory, the Crown Liquor saloon and Wellbrook Beetling Mill. There was also a large increase in the number of programmes, in particular lectures, tours and events, and also in memberships and numbers of staff.
He started the Ulster Coastline Appeal in 1962 which later became Enterprise Neptune, the trust's national appeal which remains its most successful nature conservation effort and resulted in the acquisition of the Giant's Causeway (a world heritage site). John also started the Strangford Wildlife Scheme, which is of enormous importance to nature conservation in Northern Ireland.
He was chairman of the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society and Hearth, chairman of the Hillsborough Castle Management Committee and Heritage Repairs saving several buildings from demolition including the Alms Houses in Seaforde, Co Down.
On his retirement from the trust, John started work as a fine arts consultant with Christies of London (1979-1990). One particular find which gave him immense pleasure, because of his musical interest, was a previously lost/unknown work by Haydn found in someone's attic. After his retirement from Christies, he continued as an independent consultant.
As a result of his work at the trust, his interest in restoration led him to take on the task of the rebuilding and refurbishment of Marybrook House and associated corn and flax mills. This work took him all over Ireland, to find and acquire the correct pieces of machinery to ensure the authenticity of the restored buildings. Work on the Corn Mill came to fruition in the early 1980s, when the first flour was produced and sold from Marybrook Mills and continues to this day.
With all his diversity of interests and activities, he always made time for his extended family. At the time of the death of his first wife, Diana, he went to great lengths to keep the family together and wrote a family letter each week. As the grandchildren arrived, he and his wife Sheila never missed a family celebration whenever and wherever it took place.
John had a great love of Donegal and spent many family holidays in Glencolumkille. His 75th birthday celebrations were held there, with over 30 family members of the family joining him for a birthday party. His 18 grandchildren were especially dear to him from the oldest attending university, to the youngest at nursery school.