Sir John Tooley, cherished musical administrator, died on March 18, 2020.

Born in Rochester in 1924, Tooley served as assistant adjutant during World War II; he later joined the Ford Motor Company, where he furthered his experience in administration before he was appointed as secretary to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama from 1952 to 1955. After this, Tooley went to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, where he was the assistant to general administrator and founder, Sir David Webster. When Webster retired in 1970, Tooley was chosen to succeed him, and remained with the company until his own retirement in 1988.

Tooley was noted for his efforts in making opera accessible to a wider audience, establishing a series of promenade-style opera performances with low-priced admission. He also regularly met with the heads of European and American opera companies to reduce costs, reign in excessive salaries for star singers, as well as stage co-productions