Jim McAllister (4 Mar 1944 - 26 Jul 2024)

James Andrew Clark McAllister was born on 4 March 1944, in Blantyre, to Margaret Clark and James McAllister. The eldest of six children, Jim was a proud Scot and despite moving to the south of England in his 20s, he never ceased to describe himself as Scottish first and British second.

Deciding he wanted to work in the property industry, Jim took a novel approach to job hunting by posting an advert in the Estates Gazette: ‘Young man, reasonably well-educated wants to work in property’. He received 16 replies and decided to join Chown Securities in 1971. From there he moved to London & Manchester Securities in 1979. By 1983, tired of making lots of money for others, and having spotted a development opportunity in West London, Jim decided to branch out on his own and The Rutland Group was established in a single rented room in a multi-let office building in the heart of Mayfair. By 1988, Jim had expanded the Company and taken over the entire five storeys of 11 Upper Brook Street and embarked on what was to become his first landmark development at Bedfont Lakes in West London.

Jim was entrepreneurial and liked to think outside the box. In many ways, he was ahead of his time, in that he saw no conflict between being an environmentalist and a developer. He didn’t need to be told to be a responsible developer, it came naturally to him and he was leading the field long before it became fashionable. He was interested in investing for the longer term, as he demonstrated at both Bedfont Lakes and later Dunsfold Park; ten to 20 years in the lifespan of a project was nothing to him.

Jim remained at the forefront of pioneering ideas throughout his career. He was a man of integrity who wanted to shape the environment for the better. His ideas for sustainable development represented a totally new way of thinking and building and living in a world affected by and seeking to mitigate climate change. Such was the innovation of Jim’s thinking that he was the first developer to persuade Friends of the Earth to support a major development scheme - at that time it was, quite simply, unheard of.

In his private life, Jim was passionate about shooting. An international marksman, he represented his country in competition both nationally and internationally and at the Commonwealth Games. He was a Match Rifle world record holder and Secretary and Firearms Officer for the National Rifle Club of Scotland, one of the oldest shooting clubs in the world.

Despite all his personal and professional achievements, Jim’s greatest passion was his family. His children: David, Jamie, Emma & Hugo. They were the accomplishments of which he was most proud. Time spent with them made him happier and more fulfilled than anything else and he often remarked how lucky he was that three of his children had followed him into the family business, allowing him to spend time with them virtually every day of the working week. His daughter, Emma, lived nearby, meaning he was also able to spend time with Emma and her family on a regular basis. Jim excelled as a grandfather to Isobel, Edith, Etta, Theodore and Jack and step-grandfather to Daisy and Arthur. He was always happy to get down with the kids, he never patronised and always encouraged. His attitude was summed up by the words Jim had inscribed on toy boxes that he commissioned: ‘Children are the rainbow of life. Grandchildren are the pot of gold’.

Jim was gloriously, fantastically generous with his time, his friendship and his assets. His legacy will endure through the sustainable projects that he built, the green innovations he championed, the communities he enriched and the countless lives he touched with his vision and generosity.

He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, colleagues, and all who were inspired by his work.

The funeral will be held at Jesus Christ Redeemer of Mankind, St Nicolas Avenue, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 7AQ on Tuesday 20 August at 11:00, to be followed by a private committal at Guildford Crematorium. The family would be pleased if guests would join them afterwards to celebrate Jim’s life at Loseley Park, Guildford, GU3 1HS from 13:15.

Everyone is welcome but please confirm if you will be joining us at Loseley Park to assist with catering requirements. Submit your attendance via this page or RSVP to nancy.edwards@rutland.co.uk.

Family flowers only, please, but we would be delighted if you wanted to donate to one of Jim’s chosen charities, BRIGHT Cancer Care and Topic of Cancer, in his memory.

BRIGHT Cancer Care funds ongoing research into improving treatment options and outcomes for patients and through the purchase of new equipment for a whole range of GI and HPB cancer treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy and other advanced treatments. BRIGHT supports the clinical and research work of cancer specialists at St Luke’s Cancer Centre and the Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) Surgery Unit, both based at the Royal Surrey County Hospital (RSCH) in Guildford. https://brightcancercare.org.uk/

Topic of Cancer is an award-winning Surrey based charity supporting Immunotherapy, a cancer treatment that is saving lives and bringing hope for a better future. https://www.topicofcancer.org.uk/

If you are unable to attend the funeral in person, you can view the service via this link: https://www.cpcb.org.uk/church-at-home/