Tom Cross
3 February 1931 – 27 March 2009
Tom Cross lived in this part of Cornwall for more than 30 years. He was known to many, not only through his teaching as Head of Falmouth School of Art and his writing on the history of art in Cornwall, but also for his own distinctive paintings of the Helford River.
Born in Manchester, Tom trained at the Slade School and spent two years travelling and painting in Italy and France. On his return he worked in Wales for the Welsh Arts Council, later becoming Senior Lecturer in painting at Reading University and then, in 1976, principal of the prestigious Falmouth School of Art.
Tom’s books Painting the Warmth of the Sun, The Shining Sands and Catching the Wave are standard works on the history of the Newlyn and St Ives Schools. His last book, HELFORD – A River and Some Landscapes, is a beautifully illustrated account of his time spent living on and painting the Helford River.
In 2002 Tom was instrumental in organising the purchase of the Port Navas Village Hall and served as its first Chairman, establishing it as a successful centre of village life.
Tom died at home on March 27th 2009. He was a good friend to many in Port Navas and he will be greatly missed.
Unusually, he also served a second apprenticeship as an engineer under Mr Thomas of Port Navas (Sally’s and Robin’s father). These skills served him well during the 2nd World War when he was required to service and maintain secret naval vessels, belonging to the SOE, based in the Helford River. 