Sir John Guinness, Kt, CB 1935-2020

_. Sir John Ralph Sidney Guinness, Kt, CB, who died 27 July, 2020, aged 84, was a scion of the eponymous brewing dynasty, descended from a collateral branch of the Guinness baronets.

Career: He was a former Chairman of the Trinity Group Finance Ltd; Union Discount Co Ltd 1960-61; Overseas Development Institute 1961-62; joined the Foreign Office 1962; Economic Relations Dept, 1962-63; Third Secretary, UK Mission to the United Nations, New York 1963-64; Seconded to the UN Secretariat as Special Assistant to the Dep Under Sec, and later Under Sec for Economic and Social Affairs 1964-66; Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 1967-69; First Secretary, [Econ] at the British High Commission, Ottawa, 1969-72; Seconded to the Central Policy Review Staff, Cabinet Office, 1972-75; Counsellor, 1974; Alternate UK Rep to the Law of the Sea Conference, 1975-77; Seconded to the CPRS, 1977-79; transferred to the Home Civil Service, 1980; Under-Secretary 1980-83; Deputy Secretary 1983-91; Permanent Secretary 1991-92, Dept of Energy; Chairman, British Nuclear Fuels, 1992-99; Director, Guinness Mahon Holdings, 1993-99; Ocean Group 1993-2000; Mithras Investment Trust from 1994; Governor, Oxford Energy Institute, 1984-92; Chairman, Reviewing Committee on Export of Works of Art from 1995; Member, East Anglia Rgl Committee, NT, 1989-94; Member, Development Committee, National Portrait Gallery, 1994-99; Member, Council BITC, 1992-99; President, Committee, CBI 1997-99 [Member of the Council 1993-97]; Director, UK-Japan 2000 Group, 1995-99; Member of the Advisory Council, Business Div, Prince's Trust, 1999-;  Trustee, Prince's Youth Business Trust, 1992-99; Trustee, Royal Collection Trust from  2001; Governor, Compton Verney House Trust. &c. 

He was appointed CB in 1985, and knighted in 1999. 

He was born 23 December, 1935, son of Capt Edward Douglas Guinness, CBE [1893-1983], by his wife the former Martha Letière Sheldon [1894-1976]. His elder brother was Sir Howard Guinness, Kt, VRD [1932-2019].

He married 15 July, 1967, Valerie Susan North [1937-2014], scion of the North baronets, daughter of Roger North [1901-85], by his wife the former Pamela Susan O'Rorke [1908-97], by whom he had issue, a daughter, Lucy [born 1970], and two sons, Rupert [born 1971], and Peter, who died at the age of 4 in 1978.

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