My brother Stephen Green has died aged 56 of a heart attack while taking part in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 cycle ride. Whenever he cycled it was for a charity; his sudden death has prompted many more donations for the children’s charity Action for A-T than he had already raised through sponsorship.
Stephen was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, the youngest son of Alan Green, a secondary school headteacher, and his wife, Betty, a hairdresser. He was educated at Bishop Wordsworth’s boys’ grammar school in the city, from where he went to Reading University, obtaining an honours degree in geography. Having studied French at school, he became fluent in the language during a gap year spent working at a hotel near Chartres. Later he worked at the ski resort of Méribel.
He settled in Reading, working for a design company, having first combined his interest in geography, maps and art by drawing up an illustrated city walking guide to Salisbury. After a short period of redundancy, he set up his own successful design consultancy, Greenfisher, in Reading.
Stephen was a keen and experienced cyclist who trained informally with fellow riders in the Reading area. He took part in the London to Brighton charity ride on several occasions, as well as the London Cycle 100 ride in 2013. Apart from cycling, his other sporting interest was football. He graduated from playing to refereeing and gave much time to the sport, particularly to the training and development of the next generation of referees.
He was active and well known in his local community in Reading, where he served as a governor at Maiden Erlegh secondary school. As a businessman he often gave careers advice and information to school students.
Stephen is survived by his wife, two children, a stepson and his two brothers, Tim and me. A previous marriage ended in divorce.
