Arthur Holliday

He was a quiet and quite private man with what those who knew him well described as “a peaceful aura” which reflected over other people.

Although at the peak of his local government career he rose to be chief town planning officer for Bradford City Council, a post he held on retirement at the age of 58, he was also a modest man who never pushed himself forward but only accepted the top job when it was offered.

The son of a gas engineer, he was born in Blackburn, but moved to Otley at a very young age when his father was moved there to cover the town and Yeadon.

On leaving school he trained as a draughtsman, until he was called up in 1941 following the outbreak of the Second World War. He served as a gunner with the Royal Artillery attached to the Essex Yeomanry and was part of the later stages of the D-Day landings. He never discussed that period of his life except to describe it as “a brutal experience”.

On returning to civilian life, he resumed his career as a draughtsman working for Leeds City Council while at the same time studying to practice as a town planner.

His first post in that field was in Sheffield City Council’s planning department where he stayed until 1958. He then moved to Bradford where he stayed for 20 years until he took early retirement following reorganisation of the authority.

He was already a Reader in the Church of England and following retirement decided to study theology and train for the priesthood. He spent a year at St John’s College, Durham during which time he was a student at the same time as his son Christopher who was studying town and country planning at Liverpool University.

It was a major decision for the family as he spent four days a week in Durham returning home for the weekends.

Following his ordination he served as an honorary curate at St Peter’s Church, Allerton, Bradford for three years before, in 1984 he became honorary curate at St James, Thornton until he retired in 1991.

He was married in 1948 and he and his wife Dorothy had a daughter who was physically and mentally handicapped, and a son. Mr Holliday looked after their daughter at home until he was 75 when she went into full time care. His wife died in 2008 a few months short of their 60th wedding anniversary.

For 25 years he had been a Scoutmaster in Leeds, Sheffield and at St Peter’s Church, Bradford.

Mr Holliday is survived by his daughter Rosemary, son Christopher and his sister Joan. His other sister Margaret predeceased him.