Obituary: James Aylward, Scotland-raised IT executive

James Lorimer Aylward passed away peacefully on February 5 2021 at the Florence Nightingale Hospice in Buckinghamshire.

He was born on June 18 1968 in Camberwell, London, then raised in Scotland, the eldest son of the late Professor Graeme Malcolm Aylward and the late Lyn McCheyne Gordon (née Lorimer) Carnegie. He was the stepson of the late David Ronald Mackay Carnegie.

James is survived by his two loving children Graeme and Heather, who were the absolute light of his life and their mom, his best friend Susan (née DeGurse) of Ontario, Canada. He was a dear brother to Stuart and a cherished uncle and will be sadly missed by many other family members and friends.

Educated in Glasgow, James was awarded a scholarship to study Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, receiving a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Statistics from The University of St Andrews in 1991.

James married and started his family in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada in 1994 where he spent most of his life.

He was an accomplished Senior Business, Operations and IT executive who thoroughly enjoyed his roles in financial services and investment management, where he was a resourceful leader, mentor and negotiator.

Through the years he also worked and lived in the city he adored, Perth, Australia, before returning home to the UK in 2019.

James was a brilliant man, who had a thirst for knowledge and was always willing to help others.

In his early life, he had a passion for adventure and was skilled in rock climbing, cycling and martial arts. Later in life, he enjoyed designing and building furniture, always adhering to the finest detail.

He will be cremated without a formal service and would ask that friends and family remember him fondly and celebrate his life.

Sympathy may be expressed through donations to The Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity in his name.

STUART AYLWARD

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