This week Street Beat facilitates a reader, Jill Williams’ remembrance of Timothy Napier Moxon.

Actor, founder of local airline TimAir, and one of Jamaica’s longest-serving crop-spraying pilots, Timothy Napier Moxon brought vibrancy to an exciting era of Jamaica’s history, and established a special place in the hearts of many as the consummate English gentleman.

His death at age 82 has seen him leaving behind his friend of 23 years, Norma Stanley, one sister Rosalind, two daughters Judy and Deborah, his son Wayne and five grandchildren.

Born in Kent, England, on June 2, 1924, Timothy and his older brother Oliver wanted to enlist in the Royal Air Force at the beginning of World War II. But too young to join his brother as a fighter pilot, he did his pilot’s training in Canada, and later became one of the RAF’s valued tow pilots, tugging troop-filled gliders on their one-way flight into war-torn Europe.

During the lean post-war years, Timothy and his brother lived in London, acting in repertory theatre, and later started the Torch Theatre – notable for launching the careers of several actors, including Rolf Harris. Timothy also married Margaret Stewart-Glass.

Flying was his life though, and after a stint with British European Airways, he gained work first in the UK, and then in Sudan, Africa as an agricultural crop-spraying pilot, with Crop Culture Ltd.

In the early 1960s, he accepted an offer to work for Crop Culture (Jamaica) Ltd, remaining on the Island for the rest of his life, while flying in one of the world’s most challenging crop-spraying environments, and surviving two serious accidents.

His brother Oliver also came to live in Jamaica, where he spent the rest of his life, and is remembered as the colourful proprietor of Moxon’s restaurant in Boscobel, which he established and which still bears his name.

Timothy’s acting career was greatly boosted in 1962, with a role as the handsome and debonair “John Strangeways”, otherwise known as Agent 006 in the first James Bond film, Dr No. In 1967, he was to appear in another Caribbean-based film, Come Spy With Me, as the character “Morgan”.

Meanwhile, tragedy struck for Timothy and Maggie when their daughter Mary-Jane drowned, leaving scars which never fully healed, and eventually resulted in divorce.

Timothy continued flying, and later founded the charter airline, TimAir – now said to have been in operation longer than any other charter airline on the island.

After retiring from commercial flying, he sold the airline, but continued his love affair with aviation, flying hot-air balloons in partnership with Norma Stanley, and managing The Houseboat restaurant in the Bogue Lagoon.

There, the walls were graced with photos of Spitfires and other memorabilia, and he regaled guests with tales of his flying exploits. Happily, many of these have been captured in his autobiography, which was unfinished at the time of his death.

Timothy’s charisma, wonderful sense of humour, and rich baritone was a delight to audiences who saw him perform over the last 25 years in many local theatrical productions of the Montego Bay Little Theatre Movement (MLTM), at the Fairfield Theatre.

His first role was as “Doctor Van Helsing” in Ted Tiller’s 1989 Dracula. Among other memorable roles he played were “Walter Pangbourne” in Move Over, Mrs Markham (1991); “Mr Osgood” in Noel Coward’s Waiting in the Wings (1993); “Martin Vanderhof” in Moss Hart & George Kaugman’s You Can’t Take it With You (1992); and “Dr Einstein” in Arsenic & Old Lace (1996).

In the last few years, he went on several international tours with other cast and crew members of the James Bond family, signing autographs.

Doug Redenius of the Ian Fleming Foundation, in expressing condolences, said he had never met a man so enthusiastic and full of energy.

Timothy Moxon was fondly remembered by his family and friends at a service conducted by the Reverend Tony Ottey, at St Mary’s Church in Montpelier on December 10.