Anthony Michaelson-Yeates (OW 1980)

The Waynflete Office has been informed of the death of Anthony (Tony) Michaelson-Yeates in 2024. We offer our sincere sympathies to his friends and family, and are grateful to his sister Anthea for these words about his life:

Tony had a rich and varied life and that was by no means conventional.  Born in Paris, France in 1961, where his father was working at the time. Two siblings joined him in 1963 and 1966. The family left amidst the student riots in 1968 on a borrowed tank fuel for Belgium where his father’s job had been relocated.  Another job change meant that in 1970 the family arrived in London.  Tony and his brother attended King Alfred School, before the family moved to Oxford where he gained a Governor’s Bursary to Magdelen College School from Wolvercote Primary School.  He attended for 3 years finishing up studying language ‘A’ levels at Bedales School.  From there he went to study Law at the LSE.  However, after three years he did not complete his final exams instead he ended up getting a job at the law firm Linklaters in the CAD (computer automated documents) department.  This was a newish department where drafting documents was being sped up through the use of computers.   Whilst working for Linklaters he completed his degree and landed a training contract to become a solicitor.  March 1988 Tony became unwell; the GP said his symptoms were ‘puzzling’ and shortly afterwards he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia.  Two hundred hospital days later, including surviving kidney failure he was declared to be ‘in remission’.   Linklaters took him back and initially he was working as a solicitor, but having had a near death experience, Tony wanted a less pressurised job, so worked in the GAYE (Give as You Earn) department identifying worthy charities for the firm to support.   Undiagnosed, Tony’s schizophrenia was emerging, whether latent or induced by his gruelling treatment he received we will never know.  Linklaters gave Tony a year to find another job.  (Tony never admitted he was schizophrenic or received medication for it)

During the 80’s Tony attended legal conferences travelling to America meeting many people, amongst them Dr. Edgar Cahn, a civil rights activist who invented the concept of time banking founding TimeBanks.Org in 1980.  The premise of Time Banks is as follows: Effectively time banking is a time bank system where all hours volunteered are equal regardless of anyone’s skill level.  The hours are all recorded and computerised and can then be ‘cashed in’ at any stage of your life to ‘pay’ for services whether it be care, gardening, accounting etc.  At these conferences he also met Al Gore who was championing ways to avert climate change and how we needed to change the way humans inhabit the earth.

Tony’s cancer was life changing on many fronts, the treatment he received had been pioneering including extensive chemotherapy, a bone marrow wash and cranial radiation.  He intellectualised his treatment and his experiences started him thinking about the way we, as humans, should live our lives.

Tony believed in corporate social and environmental responsibility – companies should tread softly on the planet and think about the consequences of their decisions and ‘give back’ to the communities and not be solely bent on making a profit. 

Tony believed in access wholesome food.  The food we eat should be where possible organic and plant based.  The Bristol Cancer diet (developed by Dr. Alec Frobes in the early 1980’s) advocated ways to ‘eat yourself well’.    Dr. Alec Frobes research led Tony to question our unwavering trust of ‘Western medicine’ being the best course of action to treat disease and ailments. 

Tony believed in access to justice for all.  Tony had volunteered at Toynbee Hall legal advice centre for many years.  He saw at first had how important, and in some cases, life changing, the centre’s advice had been for the local community.

Tony worked very hard to promote these causes.  He wrote hundreds of letters expounding his ideas, travelling long distances meeting people from America to South Africa seeking those he thought would be able to use their influence to raise awareness for these causes.  Admittedly, Tony’s efforts might have been unconventional but who can tell what part they played, perhaps in the same way as a stream carves a canyon.  The zeitgeist surrounding some of these areas is now beginning to show that Tony’s thinking in some ways was ahead of its time.

After Tony sold his house in 1999, he followed an itinerant lifestyle and lived of the proceeds modestly for many years.  Tony accepted the life he had chosen appeared hard but he would say that it was something he had to do.  In between his work on farms under the auspices of WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms), he would spend periods of time with his siblings but these stays became less frequent as Tony’s volunteering moved to France and Italy.  He kept in touch through email 2 or 3 times a month, not always easy as Tony relied on internet cafés.  For a while we lost touch with Tony, eventually we tracked him down to Nice living amongst the homeless.  His parents made inquires with the French authorities into whether there was anything that could be done to bring him home?  If only he was more troublesome they replied but he’s not.  He doesn’t drink or use drugs, he’s not violent, quite the opposite in fact, he goes around doing good.  That was just it, Tony didn’t think of himself as homeless, he was there to help the homeless.  For a while, Tony lived in the Acceuil de Nuit, the city’s homeless shelter.  He approached the Directeur of the shelter with suggestions that saw changes made to the admission process.  These changes improved safety for women and favoured the admission of the elderly over those who were fit.  Street life took a toll on Tony’s health.  Tony, after having spent some time recuperating from having been admitted to Nice hospital he stayed in a small hotel behind Les Promenades des Anglais financed by his parents.  Here he lived for several years busying himself helping the homeless volunteering at the soup kitchen at night.  With his linguistic skills and his legal mind, he read up on benefit law at the Central Library, he became the go-to guy that could help fill in forms and navigate the complexities of the French Social Services.  He advised those newly arrived or who found themselves homeless for the first time.  His brother would visit a couple of times a year, we would spend the days walking together from one end of the city to the other in pursuit of various missions.  Tony was known to many; he would be hailed by people sitting on benches or if passing-by they would hold out their arms to shake his hand.  

One day, on the Rue de l’Hotel des Postes in Nice, Tony stepped out into the path of a motorcycle and was very badly injured resulting in a severe head trauma and broken ribs.  Tony was hospitalised for a month and repatriated to the UK to convalesce.  His recovery was prolonged and he lived with his parents who took care of him during this period.   With time, Tony regained his strength and faculties, – perhaps he was not as sharp as he had once been – but then intellectually he had a high starting point.  His recovery was remarkable – ultimately being able to do crosswords with his parents, attending local planning council meetings during which he would often objecting to the countless applications which were commercially minded without heed to local health or education facilities.   Another great passion was litter picking.   Living with his parents he had found a new purpose, initially being useful simply by collecting the morning paper, picking up prescriptions and doing the shopping but as time went by, he increasingly looked after them although they were still able to cook for themselves.   Had it not been for Tony looking after his parents it wouldn’t have been possible for them to have remained together living in their home.  Latterly, when his mother couldn’t walk long distances, Tony would take her in her wheel chair to the Esplanade and watch the sea where they would stay a good hour, Tony gathering fishing tips from Albanians to Poles down for a day’s fishing.   For Tony, looking after his parents wasn’t a burden but a privilege, something he was here to do.  So, Tony made his home in Seaford, wearing his blue smock with its large pockets and his hat he became a familiar sight around town,

Tony was always thinking of other people, he would send birthday cards to family and the few friends he had, even when he was homeless. He wasn’t transactional in any of his dealings; he didn’t do anything with a thought to benefit himself or gain an advantage. True, his actions were sometimes misguided or had unintended consequences, but that was never his intention, he only acted out of kindness and thought for others. He just wanted to help. He had a wonderful intellect and critical mind allied with a lovely spirit.  He faced huge adversity in life but just ignored it.  He was always positive, full of passion and drive.  We shouldn’t be sad about what he might have achieved had his life been different, he might not have gained the riches of a commercial lawyer but his life was a rich tapestry of experiences.  Tony would say there was more to be done and he hadn’t finished.  I think he was certainly a man ahead of his time.  Our kind and gentle, open-hearted Tony is gone, the voices in his head have now finally been stilled, he is now at peace.