It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Jeff McTaggart, beloved father, friend, and sailor, who left us peacefully on 28th May 2025.
Jeff’s funeral will be held on 1st July at 11am at HD Tribe Chapel Shoreham. For further information and to make a donation please visit his tribute page.
Below are some tributes to Jeff. If you would like to add your own please email them to sophiemackley@hotmail.com and we will publish them here and forward them to Alex and James.
- Alexandra (Alex) McTaggart
Dad started sailing in 1962 in Southwick and Shoreham with our grandfather and taught both of his children James and Alexandra how to sail and respect the water; three generations of sailors in Shoreham.If you should think of Dad, think of him on the water on a gentle wind. Constantly present, but flowing with the tide. Grief is like the ocean; it comes in waves ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim.
With genuine thanks from the family to the sailing club, but most especially to Tim Jones and his family. You will meet one living person who knew dad better than his children, and that is Tim – look after him for us.
Most of you understood how significant you were to him. If you didn’t – he probably didn’t like you!
The fight with the EA continues. And when you fight, Dad continues and was right all along.
Please don’t send flowers to the house. As a family, we will arrange charities that you can donate those funds to instead in due course should you wish to.
- Tribute from William Warren, Commodore
Photo: Warwick Baker
Jeff was a long-time and well-respected member of the Shoreham Sailing Club. However Jeff gave us so much more – he was a cornerstone of our sailing community, shunning publicity but working tirelessly behind the scenes to do what was best for the club.
Most members will know Jeff from his time on the water, racing with his good friend Tim or setting sail for a bonus mid-week jaunt. Over the years, he mentored countless new members, and volunteered his time generously to Women on Water and the Scouts as well as serving on the committee.
Jeff was involved in the Adur Tidal Walls project from the outset until the day he died. Jeff fought with a fierce tenacity for what he believed in and this was the case with our ongoing battle with the Environment Agency. Shoreham Sailing Club is poorer place without him but we will continue to honour his battles.
He will be profoundly missed by his children Alex and James, his many friends at Shoreham Sailing Club, and all who had the privilege to know him.
Fair winds and following seas, Jeff. You will be dearly missed and forever remembered.
- Tribute from Sophie Mackley, former Commodore
During my time as Commodore of Shoreham SC I was incredibly lucky to have Jeff as my vice-Commodore. Jeff offered great counsel, logic and support through all that we had to deal with and without him I can say with confidence that the club would not be what it is today.They were tricky times with Covid, the building of the new slipway, purchasing a new committee boat and our efforts to make the club a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. In all of these Jeff backed me, and when I dropped the ball he was there to give me that nudge to keep pushing to make things happen.
Whilst we may not have made friends along the way we were pushing for progress and at the heart of it was the club that he loved. Jeff never wanted the limelight, but as a second-in-command, with his strength and support it made my time in charge a much less lonely place.
If you know Jeff, you will also know that it was not all stress and worry – we laughed a lot, we rolled our eyes even more and we talked of travel, adventure and wine. Talking of which we never did get to share that bottle of red we kept promising ourselves when our battle with the EA was over, but I will raise a glass when we are done.
Photos courtesy of Warwick Baker and Sophie Mackley