John Coombs 1927 – 2012
John joined LEO as a Trainee Programmer in March 1954 while he was still technically on Demob Leave from the British Army in which he had served for some nine years. His army service included time in Northern Ireland and long spells in the Middle East. The army sponsored him at St Peter’s Hall, Oxford for a Maths degree but before this finished he had the opportunity to go to Sandhurst from where he was commissioned into the Royal Artillery.
While John’s service in the J. Lyons group of Companies lasted till 1991, his stay with Leo was relatively short as he was transferred to the Works Department shortly before his marriage to fellow programmer, Mary Blood. He continued his training in other areas of the Lyons empire, including the Works Department, the Personal Transport Department, and the Ice Cream Department.