Farewell to another LEGEND

[MalcC]

I'm sorry to be the bearer of more sad news, but I've just been informed that
John Tassell sadly passed away earlier this week.

He was a true master of our hobby, and he was still sculpting up to a short while ago.
Not only was he a great sculptor, but he could turn his hand to anything.
I remember him bringing a model aircraft to the club (Gravesham) that he made out of old coke cans.


RIP John
My heartfelt sympathies go to his family.

Malc

 

[CGS military figures]

Very sad indeed Malc, I received the information from John Reagan and my thoughts are with all John Tassels family and friends. John was one of the original Faversham guys from when the club started and I was in my early teens. He was always so helpful in any way and friendly, it was good to be able to see him at Euro this year despite his illness.
Fond memories indeed a real legend and will be sadly missed
Grahan

 

[polyphemus]

Very saddened to hear this. Some of the earliest proper figures I painted in this hobby were Lasset.

Heartfelt condolences to his family.

Geoff

 

[cinimod]

Like you Geoff, the first few of my painting efforts were applied to several of the Sovereign roman figures. My painting never really did them justice.

All my sympathies to his family.........dom

 

[Nap]

What sad news indeed a doyen of the modelling world and a pioneer in the hobby

My thoughts are with all his family

RIP John

Nap

 

[akaryu]

Lassets in 54mm, my first real metal figures! Another legend gone!

RIP John

 

[OldTaff]

I last saw John at Euro 2014, and we had the same old banter we always had on our rare meetings. He would tease me about doing Napoleonics, and I would get in a dig about turning his name round to disguise his figures(Tassel/Lasset). Then we would have a crack about that being the long and the short of it. He was 6'3"; I'm 5' 6"
Great guy,always cheerful......my sincere condolencies to his family and friends.

Alan

 

[peedee]

What a shame, I remember poring over photogtaphs of the new releases and also looking avidly at Peter Wilcox's conversions of his ancient sculpts.
I know he will remain in the memory of many here because of the ocasional post, and due to the collection and ongoing work of out own Mirosoft.
peaceful rest.
Paul

 

[ellie]

I saw john at euro this year he was in a wheelchair but still had the time to talk to people. he was a great sculptor from the old school and still have some of his old 75mm figures in my collection. I remember john sculpting a horse for me when I had I & E Miniatures I still have the master to this day it was in white metal and he had built it up with solder. watching him work was a joy which both me and my old mate Ray Stout spent a weekend with him and I remember well his and his family's kind hospitality.

the hobby as lost yet another great mater RIP John you will be missed. our thoughts are with his family at this time.

Ian & Ellie

www.elliesminiatures.com

 

[Colin_Fraser]

My first figure was a 54mm Lasset too. I loved their stylized look. I also followed John's work through MM. A great loss to the hobby.

 

[Barke02]

I am so very sad to hear this news.

I saw him 3 weeks ago and although he was very thin and weak he was still the same old John... 6foot 3inch ex guardsman and I couldn't get a word in edge-ways, cos he talked so much. He showed me on his laptop the Vomag master he'd made that had not been released by the owner, and was looking forward to coming to the Gravesham show. He also showed a lot of photos of the early motorcycles he'd made in 1/6th scale that were so good that you'd be fooled into believing they were photos of real motorcycles.

The first metal model I ever bought was a Sovereign 75mm medieval hand gunner, bought from a model shop in Church Street, Chatham, back in the 80's. If I'd only known then that the man that sculpted it lived just around the corner...

I joined the Gravesham Military Modelling Club because there was so much talent under one roof... John Tassel (Lasset, Sovereign, David Grieve models, Sovereign 2000 and excellent figure painters), and really looked forward to chats with John. He had something to say about everything.... and never was quiet.

John could make anything... he was so talented. He embraced any new techniques and had recently bought a 3D printer.

The last time I saw him he talked a lot about reincarnation, and was sure there was a ten year gap. The new and even more talented John will be coming this way as of 2025...

I hope I'm still around to meet you John....

I will NEVER forget you... God bless.

 

[Mirofsoft]

Realy sorry to hear that
I painted a lot of Lasset/Jubille/Sovereign in the 70ies and it was always with grea pleasure
He will be missed .
Heartfelt condolences to his family

 

[OldTaff]

Barke02, that was a really nice little insight to a great chap, and was obviously heartfelt. I was out with two old military modelling mates last night ,who were shocked to hear of John's passing, and we raised a glass to his memory.

Alan

 

[MalcC]

It's been nice to read your story's about John, it's shows not only was he mega talented, but a really nice gentleman too.

Malc