It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Simon Boas (Class of 1990), aged 47.

Simon was born in London on Wednesday 6 July 1977. His father, Tony, was a businessman who retired early, and his mother, Sarah, was a book editor who also worked for the Citizens Advice Bureau. 

He attended Dulwich College Preparatory School (DCPS) and then Winchester College as a scholar. At just age 16, he helped to take an aid convoy to Bosnia with a church group. A passion for volunteering runs in the family, with both his parents having supported the homeless charity Shelter and their local food bank. Simon went on to read English at Brasenose College, Oxford and subsequently began work as a tour guide in Egypt, Turkey, and India.

Much of his work was in the Palestinian territories, starting with the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute. In 2008, he worked with the Ministry of Planning and helped to write the reconstruction plan for Gaza.

In 2016, he became executive director of Jersey Overseas Aid. The charity’s work involved organising and delivering aid to Nepal, Ethiopia, Malawi, Zambia, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone. Simon visited all these places, as well as, most recently, Ukraine, where he would travel to Kyiv and send updates on how Jersey’s donations were being used. He was also chairman of Jersey Heritage.

Simon passed away on Monday 15 July 2024. He leaves behind his wife, Aurelie, his younger sister, and his parents. Please join us in sending our condolences, thoughts, and prayers to his family and friends at this difficult time.