Jim Lees

Does anyone know what happened to former professional Jim Lees.

I've deduced that Rex Williams is the last surviving player from the pre-1969 World Championship 'or the pre-modern era'* formats however with the one crucial exception of Jim Lees who turned up at the 1954 championships.

He also appears as a qualifier in 1947 but seems to have dropped off the face of the snooker planet after his brief career. I'd hazard a guess he's unlikely to still be around, but there seems to be nothing on him?

Does anyone know what happened to him and if he's still alive?

*This makes the assumption that none of the pre-war players are somehow still alive.
*This also only applies to the final stages of the tournament, whilst it appears most of the qualifiers from this era are dead I've not fact-checked them all in the way I've done for final stage players.

I have found a date of birth for him of 1908. I would hazard a guess that he is no longer with us.

A man with the same name and of the right age died in Fulham in 1965.

Nice work Mick. Going by this photo op I'd agree assuming players are named in order that would put him 50s in it....

https://twitter.com/barkingcentre/statu ... 13153?s=21

I assume the DOB you found was snooker news based rather than just any old Jim Lees from 1908, if so good work I spent ages looking for one the other day.

Hi yes.

Actually page 137 of John Kobylecky's book The Complete International Directory of snooker players gives his birth date as 8/9/08.

His name is given as H. Jim Lees. I checked the birth registry for anyone of that name born in england in 1908 and there was a Horace James Lees born in Salop at that time.

A Horace J Lees died aged 58 in Fulham in 1965, he would be the right age but may or may not be the same person.

The photo on twitter is dated 1952/53 which would put him about 44-45 years old.

mick745 wrote:Hi yes.

Actually page 137 of John Kobylecky's book The Complete International Directory of snooker players gives his birth date as 8/9/08.

His name is given as H. Jim Lees. I checked the birth registry for anyone of that name born in england in 1908 and there was a Horace James Lees born in Salop at that time.

A Horace J Lees died aged 58 in Fulham in 1965, he would be the right age but may or may not be the same person.

The photo on twitter is dated 1952/53 which would put him about 44-45 years old.

Again thank you very much for clearing this one up....

Pretty much means - as we thought - Rex is the last surviving 'pre-modern' world championship player.

This is a very interesting thread. I'm local to Fulham, so I may do a bit more digging - see if i can unearth anything further...

SnookerEd25 wrote:This is a very interesting thread. I'm local to Fulham, so I may do a bit more digging - see if i can unearth anything further...

The ancestry family tree record for the 1908 - 1965 Jim Lees lists the Jim Lees with the relevant date of birth and date of death as a billiard hall proprieter regards occupation; seems almost certain to be him.