
A doting father, Mr. Stafford
with his children
Luke and Tammy. The company MD's twin
passions were sailing and motorbikes, and he
was described as a safe and responsible rider.
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Harley
group
founder dies in
crash with bus
By TOMMY WEE
EXPATRIATE Anthony John
Stafford, 57, managing director of a marine technologies company,
loved motor bikes. It was a love affair he pursued with passion when
he arrived in Singapore eight years ago from Britain.
It ended on Saturday, shortly after 8pm. The father of two died when
his Harley Davidson collided with an SBS bus at the junction of
Clementi Road and Commonwealth Avenue West.
He was going home after visiting fellow-Harley enthusiasts at an
Alexandra Road pub, Handlebars, just 10 minutes from his
semi-detached house in Sunset Way.
Mr. Stafford, who founded the Singapore chapter of the Harley Owners
Group in 1994, was described by his motorcyclist friends as a safe,
responsible rider.
Factory manager Peter Skalak, 45, said: "I feel comfortable
riding next to him...... He knew what he was doing."
Mr. Stafford rode his first motorbike in England when he was 13, Mr.
Skalak added, in an interview with two other Harley owners at Mr.
Stafford's home.
They were there to comfort Mrs. Rosemary Stafford, 49, a British
High Commission trade development officer.
She learnt of her husband's death from one of his colleagues, who
saw it on television news.
Mr.Staffore, co-chief executive officer of Noble Denton South-East
Asia, had never been in a road accident before, said Mr. Andreas
Horntrich, 38, managing director of a crane services company, and a
regular at Handlebars.
He said the Harley Mr. Stafford crashed was a $45,000 Road King but
"the bike was not a speed machine for him".
Like most doting parents, he shared his passion with his children,
Luke,10, and Tammy, eight. Sailing was his other love.
Mr. Mike Negus, 53, operations manager at Mr.Stafford'scompany said:
"He was training hard, and was determined to join the British
Telecom Global Challenge 2004, something only people in their 20s
do."
Four times a week, he could be seen at the gym and biking up Bukit
Timah hill, in preparation for what is widely recognised as the
toughest, yacht race in the world.
Mr. Skalak said: "He was the fittest 57-year-old I know."
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