Maxwell Lee was born and bred in London and decided to
go vegetarian at the age of 12 for moral reasons and became vegan in
1985. He moved to the Manchester area in the late 1967 when
he obtained a post at Mather Teacher Training College.
From his early years Maxwell was involved in charity and, as a student
at Birbeck College, he was involved
in
setting
up a hostel
for
Hungarian refugees in 1956 and started working as a volunteer for the
Vegetarian Society at a similar period, his commitment spanning nearly
50 years in a number of roles. He met his beloved wife Sylvia, at a dance
in the university and has three daughters and six grandchildren, all
life vegetarians, the eldest now vegan, a fact of which he was very pleased.
Maxwell taught geography, planning, housing and urbanisation at undergraduate
and post graduate levels for many years but took the opportunity to retire
early so that he could spend more time on vegetarianism and his other
interests. Maxwell originally joined the London Vegetarian Society and
before long found himself on the committee of the society and soon became
very involved in the Vegetarian Social Club in London and was chair of
it for a number of years.
Soon after moving to Manchester
he was asked to join the committee of the Vegetarian Society having
been active in the Young Vegetarian organization
and the moves to unify the two national societies. He became chair of
the Society’s publications committee and oversaw the magazine and
its various forms, as well as anything else published by the Society.
Later, after unification, he became chair of the Committee North of the
new society and later still, chair of Council on three occasions for
a total
of nearly
12 years.
He was made a Fellow of the society for his services to it and later
President for five years.
Maxwell was involved in both the Vegetarian Home for Children in the
Liverpool area and the Vegetarian Home for Children in Jersey. He became
chair of the Jersey home and subsequently oversaw the amalgamation of
the two charities. The charity is now known as The Vegetarian Charity
and it exists to assist needy young vegetarians up to the age of 26 years
and
to promote vegetarianism among young people and he remained involved
in its work until his recent untimely death. His youngest daughter, Kathryn,
is now a member of the trustees.
In 1979 VSUK asked Maxwell to stand as the Hon. General Secretary of
the International Vegetarian Union and he served in that capacity for
17 years, promoting vegetarianism around the world in his spare time.
Following that he held the posts of chair (1999-2000), deputy president
(1996-1999) and president (1999) of the IVU only retiring from activity
recently due to his failing sight. Maxwell was also the first President
of the European Vegetarian Union from its formation in 1985 to 1991.
Apart from his commitments to vegetarianism Maxwell held various offices
in Geographical societies in Manchester – committee member, hon.
Treasurer, chair and president at various times. He was also Hon. Secretary
of the Marple Liberal Democrats, he acted as a volunteer driver for
a local organization taking people to hospital, doctors etc. who are
not fit enough to do so unaided, was a trustee of a charity that runs
homes for street children in India and was chair of governors of the
largest comprehensive school in Stockport for the five years before
his death.
A few words are
not sufficient to sum up the energy and passion that was Maxwell Lee;
he lived life to the full and
left the world a better place for it. Together with
Neville Hall, Thomas Pitfield, John Le Grice, Kathleen Jannaway, Kathleen
Keleny Williams, Joan Raby and many others of their stature he has left
a gap in the movement which will not be easily filled but we are nevertheless
the richer for having had their examples.
(based on material written by Tina Fox, March 05)
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