Former England international Jean Head (nee Winn) passed away peacefully on 2^nd September 2024 aged 94 years.

Jean was born on 17^th June 1930 in Merton, Surrey and the area was a hot bed of table tennis talent. Jean started playing table tennis in 1947 and rose through the Surrey ranks and by 1952 had become the county number two behind Peggy Piper who also went on to become an international. When she was 20, Jean reached one of the four area finals of the renowned Daily Mirror competition, entries were around 10,000 for four events, only to lose to twice world doubles champion Diane Rowe.

Playing in the South London and Wandsworth Leagues and practicing at the famous Putney Club (pictured above), Jean’s progress went from strength to strength and by 1952 she was England number six and her subsequently she reached number three. When you consider England had several players in the world top ten at the time this was quite some achievement. Some quotes from the time “… we suspect her secret ambition is an England badge and that she will play her heart out to justify it” and her style of play as “attack and attack with a walloping forehand kill that shouldn’t come back, but don’t be surprised if you see her consolidating her defensive armoury occasionally.”

It was either playing matches or practising nearly every night of the week and tournaments at weekends which resulted in winning nearly every Open tournament in the south of England and the Midlands. From Bournemouth to Bucks, Kent to Middlesex, the South of England Open and the Metropolitan Open in singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles. As a result, Jean was selected for her fist senior international match on 14^th November 1953 in Peterborough against France. The team of Jean, Kathy Best and another playing making her debut, Ann Haydon, won the fixture 6-3.

Jean played in two World Championships, in 1954 and 1955. 1954 at Wembley she reached the round of 32 in the Women’s Singles and the quarter-finals in the Women’s Doubles with Joy Seaman. This was the year the Rowe twins defeated Kathy Best and Ann Haydon in the final, England really were at the top of the tree. The following year in Utrecht, Netherlands, as a member of the Corbillon Cup team along with Di and Ros Rowe and Ann Haydon that Jean reached the pinnacle of her playing days when the quartet came third, earning Jean a World Championships bronze medal. She again reached the quarter-finals in the Women’s Doubles, this time with Helen Elliot of Scotland.

Jean played in several English Open championships, second only in status to the World Championships, from 1949-1959 and won two medals in the Women’s Doubles. It was a silver with Ann Haydon in 1955 only losing to the fabulous Rowe twins and in November 1953 a bronze with Pam Mortimer.

In September of 1955 she married fellow international, Jackie Head, and they carried on playing competitively until 1958 when they both retired. However, with the advent of the English Closed in 1960 Jean was tempted to return, playing in the England Championships from 1960 to 1965, the latter being her most successful year reaching the semi-finals of the Women’s Singles.

The National Team Championships were another source of triumph when Jean won the J M Rose Bowl with the South London League in 1953/54 with Pam Gall and Jill Rook and with the Sutton League in in 1966/67 with Pauline Hemmings and Mary Wright.

In the Surrey County Closed, Jean won numerous Women’s Singles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles titles, the latter with her husband, Jackie. She represented her county more than 35 times at senior level and was part of the winning County Premier Division team in 1955/56 along with Ken Craigie, Tony Miller, Harry Venner, Betty Isaacs, Peggy Piper and Jill Rook.

When Jean and Jackie eventually fully retired, they still kept in touch with their many table tennis friends and were two of many who attended Ray Dorking’s millennium reunion which was a star-studded mix of international players, county players, league players, coaches and friends.

Ron Crayden, England and Surrey captain on Jean’s retirement: “Love of the game, physical fitness and an inflexible determination to succeed have been the main factors of Jean’s distinguished career. ….. Unorthodox by accepted standards she was, nevertheless, an efficient craftsman and the power of her forehand drive exceeded that of many top-class men. At the table her behaviour was exemplary and her appearance commendable. For five years she reigned as the first lady of Surrey table tennis. ….. A fighter to the last gasp and as gracious in defeat as in victory, she was respected by the stars and admired by the rank and file.”

From Ray Dorking, former Junior International and English Junior Open Champion: “Jean was a long-haired brunette with a whirlwind forehand attack that took her near the top of the English Ladies ranking list. I found her to be very friendly and a nice person.” On meeting up again at his millennium reunion “…. everyone that evening was as friendly as if we had just bumped into each other at one of the many tournaments.”

An outstanding player and a gracious lady. Thank you, Jean, for your contribution to English table tennis.

The end of the story does not finish there, as succeeding generations of the Head family have made their contribution to table tennis and so the legacy lives on. Daughter, Sue Hayes, a prominent member of Cippenham Table Tennis Club has represented Surrey, Sussex and Buckinghamshire, is a Level 4 Coach and presently sits on National Council. Grandson, David Hayes, went on to become an Irish international and play in a World Championship himself as well as being taking on the role of “Duty Officer” at Cippenham.  Granddaughters, Catherine, Rebecca and Naomi also held this role before moving on to university. In addition, Catherine and Naomi both served as Cippenham’s Events Officer, Catherine became an English Cadet Girls’ Doubles champion in 2005 and was the TTE Young Volunteer of the Year 2006, Naomi followed in her footsteps ten years later by becoming the Southern Region Young Volunteer.

Our condolences go to all Jean’s family, her daughter Sue, grandchildren David, Catherine, Rebecca, Naomi and four great-grandchildren, Oliver, Joshua, Sophie and Lucas.

Funeral details are as follows:

Service:
Friday 11th October 2024, 11:00am atSt. Anthony’s Catholic Church, Farnham Road, Slough, SL2 3AE
If you are unable to attend in person but would like to follow the service please use this link to join online via the Zoom platform https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81479901319?pwd=bflkV4RjILDXlaupjaMNQU1iAAU7W2.1

Committal:
11th October 2024, 1:00 pm at Slough Crematorium Stoke Road Slough SL2 5AX

Reception:
11th October 2024, 1:45 pm at The Red Lion, Stoke Green Slough SL2 4H

If anyone would like to record a memory of Jean, there is a “Much Loved” web-page available: Jean Head: 17th June 1930 – 2nd September 2024 (muchloved.com)