Tributes have been paid to the founding member and former chair of the Charity Finance Group after his death at the age of 57. 

Ian Theodoreson, whose death was announced yesterday, held senior finance roles at charities including Save the Children, Barnardo’s and the Church of England, and was today described by colleagues as a “stalwart of the charity community”. 

He was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy in 2019 and wrote a blog about his experiences living with the degenerative illness over the subsequent years. 

Theodoreson’s sector career included stints as the finance director of Save the Children from 1987-1995, the director of corporate resources at the children’s charity Barnardo’s in the late 1990s, and the chief finance officer at the Church of England. 

He chaired the first meeting of the Charity Finance Group in 1986 – then known as the Charity Finance Directors’ Group, and was involved in writing the first Statement of Recommended Practice for charities. 

Theodoreson went on to chair the Charity Finance Group between 2011 and 2017, working alongside chief executive Caron Bradshaw to deliver an ambitious change programme that saw the membership body grow substantially, and build its reputation as an independent voice for the sector. 

Bradshaw told Third Sector: “Ian was quite simply the most fantastic of people. He was an inspiring financial leader – someone who had enormous courage, wisdom and vision. 

“He always did the things he believed were right, irrespective of how difficult they might be. He was not egotistical or showy, but understated, humble and gentle. He was warm, generous and full of love.

“One of the bits of advice he gave me that I share frequently is to ‘fill up your bath’.  To ensure you are doing enough things that fill you with joy (turning the taps on) so that you can withstand the difficult times that draw on you (coping with the plug being out). 

“It taught me that at the very time your instinct is to focus on work and getting through difficulties (by not seeing friends, staying late to work, not doing the thing you love but feel you haven’t time for), you should double down on self care.”

Sir Stuart Etherington, former chief executive of the NCVO and chair of the Oversight Trust, wrote: “This is very sad news. Ian was a stalwart of the charity community, I enjoyed working with him. He had enormous integrity.” 

Sir Martin Narey, who served as the chief executive of Barnardo’s between 2005 and 2011, said Theodoreson was “wonderful company both in and out of work”. 

He said: “Old colleagues at Barnardo’s will remember Ian as a brilliant director of finance (whom I was so lucky to inherit). But he was much more than that. His faith was very important to him. But he was never pious and never proselytised.” 

Kevin Barnes, chief executive of the older people, children’s and young people’s charity Sisters of Nazareth, wrote: “The whole sector owes Ian a massive thank you for his commitment and passion for everything charity and finance. CFG is a wonderful legacy to his contribution. He was a wonderful boss and mentor when we worked together at Barnardo’s and CFG.”

In Theodoreson’s last blog post, published yesterday by his family, he wrote: 

“I’m sorry I won’t be around to share any more of my erratic journey with muscular dystrophy, and I am sorry too that I haven’t even come close to writing the book so many of you urged me to write. 

“I’ve spent my life living by the disreputable motto of ‘never do today what you can put off doing until tomorrow’, but a time was bound to come when there was no tomorrow left.” 

Theodoreson added: “I have lived a good life, blessed and supported by the greatest wife a man could hope for and inspired by four stupendous children who are the finest gift that Sally and I will leave to this world. 

“Most of all, I am grateful to God, who I committed my life to follow, when I was 16, and who has walked with me and my family through the good and the bad times ever since.” 

He had titled the piece “Goodbye, and thanks for all the fish” – a reference to Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy. 

Theodoreson wrote: “It’s a bit bizarre maybe, but take this as a book recommendation from beyond the grave.”