Remembering Christopher Prothero

Christopher Nicholas Wyatt Prothero attended Malvern College from 1956 to 1961, living in House 1. He particularly enjoyed playing cricket in addition to his studies. He went up to Selwyn College at Cambridge University then went on to a distinguished career in freight transport and port management.  Starting in road transport, his work took him widely across the north of England, and notably to Liverpool, where he met his future wife, Jean Haig, at a folk concert.

His ability to work effectively with people, combined with a talent for developing new transport operations, quickly led to several overseas postings. This marked the beginning of a lifelong pattern of working abroad, often accompanied by his family when circumstances allowed, and it fostered a shared love of travel. Christopher later became a well-regarded transport consultant, working in many parts of the world.

Family was central to his life. He and Jean raised two daughters, Heather and Jenny. The family endured significant challenges, most notably in 1990 when Christopher, Jean and Jenny were in Kuwait during the Iraqi invasion. All three were in hiding; after Jean and Jenny were allowed to leave, Christopher later got taken hostage and became part of the human shield. He was eventually released. He rarely spoke of these experiences. In 2006, the family suffered a devastating loss with the death of Jenny from breast cancer at the age of thirty-four. With characteristic stoicism, Christopher bore these hardships, as well as Jean’s death in 2017 and his own debilitating final illness, with quiet resilience and a determination to value the moment.

In retirement, the family settled in Cumbria, and he contributed generously to his local community, serving on the Parish Council. Following Jean’s death, Heather became his close support and travelling companion, and ultimately his devoted carer.

Christopher died peacefully at the Cumberland Infirmary on Tuesday 26th May 2026, aged 83 years.

Christopher was buried with Jean in the churchyard of the village church in Great Orton where forty-eight years previously they had been married, after a simple service which included an illuminating eulogy prepared by Heather.

Christopher is survived by his younger sister, Clemency, by Jenny’s widower John and by his elder daughter Heather: he is remembered by many who knew him as a friend and colleague through a long and eventful life: a lovely man.

Written by Patrick Taylor (a friend from Selwyn College) and Heather Haig-Prothero