In memoriam: Charles 'Harry' Wilken
1 Mar 10
Harry, who was born in Elgin, Moray, was educated at the local Academy
by Grenville Johnston OBE TD CA, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Moray
Although he considered joining the Fleet Air Arm, his father sent him to see a close friend and chartered accountant, WD Johnston, who suggested that becoming a CA would give him many options.
He joined Whinney Murray in Edinburgh and passed all his exams first time. He then chose to join Jardine Matheson in Hong Kong in 1972. His skills, together with his wit and charm and an ingrained sense of honest Scottish ethics, saw him advance.
He became involved with a wide range of Jardine businesses – Mandarin Oriental Hotels, Textile Alliance and Eupo Air to name a few. He showed an ability to engage with the Chinese and throughout he held fast to his principles.
Harry was immensely proud of being Scottish, determined to uphold his qualification and as proud a man of Moray as you can get. His visits home to see his parents were usually the excuse for a party of locals to be brought up to date on world affairs!
In 1995, he was asked by Jardine’s to move to Bermuda because they wished to establish their international headquarters there. He became President of Jardine International. He involved himself in the local community and, while proudly Scottish, he was an advocate for Bermuda. There are many Scottish CAs based on the island and, in 1998, the Institute received a request from him that it might be appropriate that they deserved a visit. It was not lost on the Secretariat that the President in 1999/2000 was about to be someone from Elgin!
The St Andrew’s Day events and dinner he organised for all our members on the island was typical of his fervent support for his homeland.
Harry was a keen sportsman, active in cricket, tennis and squash. He was even more keen on Reel societies and all things Scottish. He had been asked to delay his retirement twice by Jardine’s but had decided to settle in the UK and was in Gatwick when he died suddenly.
Harry married Eileen Pattullo in 1982. They did not have any children.
His funeral, in Elgin, was attended by people from all over the world who knew him and respected someone with old-fashioned values. He was a great advert for Moray.
Grenville Johnston OBE TD CA, HM Lord-Lieutenant of Moray