Wilson Henry

Oct 18 2007 by Peter Elson, Liverpool Daily Post

PROSPECTS for a young man, who was one of nine siblings, were probably not that great immediately after the war in Northern Ireland.

So, the ambitious 20-year-old Wilson Henry did what so many had done before and took the boat to Liverpool. There was no need for him to travel farther. He became a trainee accountant and prospered beyond his family’s dreams, eventually founding his own accountancy firm.

Wilson Henry, former Liverpool magistrate and energetic charity fund-raiser, who founded Wilson Henry & Co in 1958, has died at the age of 81, after battling with Alzheimer’s disease.

Born in 1926 in Northern Ireland, he moved to Liverpool in 1946 and joined accountants Neal & Neal in 1948 as a trainee. After qualifying in 1951, he gained experience with Ernest Carruthers and WL Jackson Hesketh as a manager and practice manager.

Following his marriage to Phyllis, in 1952, they had three children: Christine, Hilene and Annette. Now called the Wilson Henry Partnership, his firm celebrates 50 years in business next year, led by his daughter, Hilene.

In 1960, the Henry family moved to Thornton where Wilson, a committed Christian, was instrumental in helping to build St Frydeswide’s Church. When the family moved to Blundellsands, their parish church became St Michael’s Church, St Michael’s Road, where Wilson was formerly both treasurer and churchwarden. His funeral will be held there on Monday at midday.

He enjoyed all sport, particularly golf, rugby, football and was a keen Liverpool FC fan. A low handicap golfer, he was for many years a member of West Lancashire and Windermere Golf Clubs. Appointed chairman of Crosby Conservative Association from 1991, he was invited to meet the then prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, at Downing Street. He served as a JP in Liverpool Magistrates Court, 1977 - 96.

He leaves his wife, three daughters and four grandchildren. Family flowers only, with donations requested instead to: The Alzheimer’s Society, Parkinson’s Disease Society (his daughter Christine suffers from the illness) and Great Ormond Street Children’s Charity. Donations to H Leslie Humfreys, 69, Liverpool Road, Crosby, L23 5SE, marked “In memory of Wilson Henry” on the reverse of cheque.

Wilson Henry, accountant; born, 1926, died, October 12, 2007.