Strong Man With Gentle Heart
Former chairman and non-executive director of the Hoburne Group, John Burry, has died at the age of 88. A strong man with a gentle heart, John had a huge influence on many people’s lives and was an inspiration to everyone at Hoburne and the wider tourism industry.
John was chairman of the Hoburne Group for 38 years, during which time, he not only grew the holiday park business, but he presided over the continuing success of the property and development arm as well. Golf courses were acquired, and hundreds of houses built under the Hoburne Development brand. Industrial and retail units, along with offices, were also constructed. John took on several distinguished roles. He was chairman of the National Caravan Council during the 70s, where he played a key part in the fight to improve standards in services within the industry. He served as Official Verderer of the New Forest from 1993 to 1999 for which he was awarded an MBE and in December 1994, he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire. John grew the holiday business by acquiring a further six stunning holiday park locations, but he presided over the continuing success of Hoburne Development until he passed the baton of chairman to his daughter, Rosie Kennar, in 2002.
Today, Hoburne owns eight holiday parks across the south and south west of England, plus three golf clubs under the Hoburne Golf brand and a residential and commercial development operation under Hoburne Development. Established in 1912 in Dorset, the family business is now in its fifth generation of the Burry family, creating one of the south’s largest and most successful family-owned tourism companies. John’s support for numerous organisations, charities, and individuals, extended beyond practical input where his expertise and wisdom were always highly valued. Through the Burry Charitable Trust, donations totalling around £1.75 million to date have been made to numerous organisations, and these were often given anonymously because John found it embarrassing to be thanked.