My grandfather, Tom Bailey, who has died aged 91, was believed to be the oldest practising solicitor in north Staffordshire, until his retirement shortly before his 90th birthday last year.
Tom was born in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent. He attended Longton high school nearby and was articled to a Stoke-based solicitor, Harold Grindey, in 1940. His legal training was interrupted in 1942 when he and his twin brother, Bob, were called up to serve with the Royal Signals in North Africa, Italy and Palestine.
In 1945, Tom managed to secure a brief period of leave and returned to marry Muriel Rathbone. Their daughter, Muriel, was born the following year and their son, Robert, in 1952. Tom's wartime experiences, particularly in Palestine, made a lasting impression. He had extensive knowledge of the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict and a deep concern for the plight of the Palestinian people.
Tom was passionate about law and completed his legal training in 1948. He went on to establish his own firm, now Bailey, Wain & Curzon, in Fenton, and became a highly respected family solicitor in the area. Tom was a lifelong socialist, keen to fight for the less advantaged. A member of the civil rights group Liberty, he was highly critical of the recent attacks on civil liberties by various governments.
Tom was widely read with an extensive knowledge of history, politics, religion and literature, especially Wordsworth and Wuthering Heights. He was a Quaker for many years, attending meetings for worship and discussion groups at the Stoke and Stone meeting houses. He was also a member of the Regnal League, the Christian organisation, during the 1960 and 70s, becoming its chief steward for a period of time. In the 1990s he served as a lay member on the medical services committee of Staffordshire family health services authority.
We had many philosophical chats in his later years. Tom was thankful for his life and longevity, often contemplating the ephemeral nature of existence. Life to him was a "sunbeam in a winter's day"; or "a crack of light between two eternities of darkness" – fleeting, precious and ultimately forgotten. We are not here for long, he would say to me – make it count.
Tom is survived by his wife and children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.