The 4th Marquess of Reading 1942-2026

  The 4th Marquess of Reading died 26 October, 2026. He was 84.

Marquess of Reading.

He was the 4th Earl of Reading [U.K., 1917], the 4th Viscount Reading, of Erleigh, co. Berks [U.K., 1916], the 4th Marquess of Reading [U.K., 1926], and the 4th Baron Reading, of Erleigh, co. Berks [U.K., 1914].

Simon Charles Henry Rufus Isaacs was born 18 May, 1942, the eldest son of the 3rd Marquess of Reading, MBE, MC (1916-1980), and his wife the former Margot Irene Duke (1919-2015), and he succeeded to the peerages upon his father's death, 2 July, 1980.

 The then Viscount Erleigh served as Lieutenant, 1st Queen’s Dragoon Grds 1961-64; Member of Stock Exchange 1970-74; Marketing Dir for Brahmco International 1975-80; with Ralph Lauren Cosmetics 1979-83; with Abbey Lubbock and Abbey Sports and Events 1984-92; Chm: Land’s End John o’ Groats Club 1992-96, Crosswinds 2011, Visionscapes Group 2017; Pres: Dean Close School, 1990-2000; Dir: Global Flying Hospitals 1996-2000, Raven Energy 2015, Unibin Resources 2016, Remit Radar 2016; Member: Board of Directors of CURE International 2004, Mertens House (St Petersburg) 2008, Council of the Garden Tomb (Jerusalem) 2002-08; Trustee: Jewish Natl Fund 2016; Patron: Nelson Recovery Trust 1998, Barnabas Fund, Royal Versailles Ball 2022; Grand Cross of Order of Menelik II (Crown Cncl of Ethiopia) 2022.

He married 12 May, 1979, Melinda Victoria Dewar (born circa January, 1951), younger daughter of Richard John Gresley Dewar (1916-1991), of Seale, Surrey, by his wife the former Andrena V. Hopwood, by whom he had issue, a son Julian Rufus Isaacs, styled Viscount Erleigh (born 26 May, 1986), and two daughters, Lady Sybilla (born 3 November, 1980, and Lady Natasha (born 24 April, 1983).

A service of thanksgiving will be held at Cirencester Parish Church in January 2027.

His only son succeeds to the peerages.

-=-