John was a wonderful colleague; fiercely intelligent, with a unique sense of humour and an infectious decency. I will always remember the witty notes on his office door, and I always admired and trusted both his judgement and his integrity. I feel incredibly privileged to have attended his retirement party, which will always remain one of my fondest memories of him. He told me about his childhood in Petts Wood, where we now live very close by. He said that he had memorised every station between Petts Wood and central London and would count them on every journey to make sure he still remembered them correctly. Now, every time I travel to work on that same railway line, I find myself thinking of John and remembering that conversation. John was universally loved and will be hugely missed….

John was a great colleague. He was always friendly and took time to talk to colleagues.  I will miss him greatly. My sincere condolences. Luigi…

I first met John when I joined DERS in 2010 and we regularly interacted, particularly on teaching-related matters, until I moved department in 2014. Since then our paths still crossed from time to time and these were always happy occasions. John’s kindness, gentleness, and sense of humour will always be remembered. His unshakeable belief in the good that education can do and his consistent focus on teaching quality have set a high standard for me and many others that can be aimed for, though rarely emulated. John, you will be missed! …

I shall remember John – a colleague for forty years – for his good natured wit and keen sense of irony. As a colleague he was always a quiet voice of reason and brought tenacious integrity and good sense to the Department. He will be missed….

John Bone was my joint PhD supervisor during the final stage of my doctorate. When the process felt endless, he helped me bring everything together—finishing chapters, submitting them for review, and finally completing my thesis. He was an exceptionally kind and thoughtful supervisor. He always gave you his full attention, listened carefully, and never made you feel rushed. Somehow, he always seemed to have time for you, even though I know he must have been incredibly busy. I had written to him recently because, for me, it is impossible to be in York without wanting to say hello. Hearing this news was a real shock and made me very sad. Rest in peace, John. Thank you for your kindness, your guidance, and for helping me reach the end of my PhD journey.    …

John, you were such a kind and gentle person, never one to impose yourself on others. You were loved by everyone who knew you. Until we meet again….

John was great to work with and always had time to ask me how things were going when I was doing my PhD. His friendly nature and good sense of humour will be missed!…