OLD DECANIAN SOCIETY I DEAN CLOSE SCHOOL
Obituaries 2015 22nd April Christopher M. Kenyon - DCS Common Room (1962-1998) passed away at home in Cheltenham surrounded by his family aged 78. House Tutor in Tower, Housemaster of Gate 1971-1983, Housemaster of Field 1984-1992, Geography Teacher & Head of the Divinity Department for many years until his retirement and also Head of Cricket 19641997 (taking over from Mike Girling). To mark his retirement, the Pavilion on Big Field was renamed the Kenyon Pavilion in his honour. Chris also became a Diocesan Reader (Church of England lay minister) in 1976, preaching in Chapel to both the senior and Junior Schools. In retirement, Chris exercised his ministry as a Reader at Ashchurch Parish Church, just outside Tewkesbury, as well as continuing his much appreciated activity as a painter. A full obituary and dedication will be in the next edition of the Flecker. 22nd March David (Watty) Watson - Former Staff 1969 1983); MA; Head of History, House Tutor, Court House; Chief Examiner, Oxford Local Board. Funeral was at 1pm on Saturday April 4th at the parish church in Brooke, Norfolk. Watty also ran the school madrigal group and produced and directed several musicals. He was then housemaster for the Cathedral Choristers in Canterbury, followed by Headmaster of Clayesmore Prep School in Dorset and finally Head of History at the Dragon School in Oxford. On retirement he and his wife, Gwyneth, moved to Norfolk. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s about 12 years ago but remained active until the last couple of years. He moved into a nursing home in December and died in his sleep early on March 22nd. Friday 20th February Michael Girling - Member of Common Room, Senior Master, 1st XI Cricket Master and Registrar of the Old Decanian Society between 1948 to 1987. Mike died aged 95 at Faithfull House just around the corner from Dean Close School where he dedicated he life. Please see a full obituary and memories of Mike further on page 26-28 of this edition .
8th February Barry Barker (Brook, 1954) died aged 81 from cancer. John Kemp (OD) informed the Society of his passing. Both kept in contact even though the Atlantic Ocean was between them both (John Kemp living in Canada since 1969). 12th January Nicholas Goddard (Court, 1958) passed away after a long illness aged 73 years. He attended Dean Close for two years and went on to study at Lackham College to follow a career in farming and haulage. 4th January Nigel Patrick Drury (Court, 1974) died aged 58 from lung cancer. Nigel arrived at Dean Close in 1969 and stayed for five years. During that time he showed himself to be a multi-talented sportsman attaining his colours in hockey and cricket of which he was also Captain. An early report of the U15 Cricket noted his promise when it mentioned his 50 against Malvern. As Captain in his final year his bowling gained the team its second victory against Wycliffe. After leaving the School he joined the family firm Sheldon Bosely an auctioneers and estate agents where his father John, OD was a senior partner. Nigel’s enjoyment of sport continued after school. During the 1970s he returned to represent the ODs in many school cricket matches, including the Brewers’ Cup Competition as a very useful medium pace bowler. He was a long standing member at Bourton Vale C.C. as a player and committee member and Honorary Secretary for 17 years and trustee of Stow on the Wold & District RFC.
2014 23rd December James Trickey (Field, 2010) died in a collision with a car, whilst cycling near Peterborough, where he lived. James had been a professional chorister in the city’s cathedral for just over a year. He studied geography at Oxford University, having been awarded a choral scholarship. James’ main passions were singing, cycling, forecasting the weather and photography. He travelled across the globe with his singing, and cycled nearly 2,000 miles to Southern Italy, raising over £1,000 for the Stroke Association. The funeral was held on 7th January in
Gloucester Cathedral and mourners were asked to wear a touch of white or a white flower. 17th November Yves Doudet (Court, 1965) died aged 66 after courageously fighting cancer for several years. Yves came to school in 1963 as DCS’s first continental European student. During the war his father Marcel, who was a member of the French Resistance, provided a hiding place to ‘Jag’ Graham (later to become our Headmaster at DCS) at his home in the village of Savigny les Beaune in Burgundy. The friendship which subsequently followed was the reason for Yves attending DCS. Yves was a house prefect and head of house gym. DCS left a lasting impression with Yves leaving him an anglophile; he would always say that his school days in Cheltenham were the happiest of his early life and he had made strong friendships. On leaving DCS, Yves was conscripted into the very same regiment of the French Army as his forefather and served at Reutlingen in Southern Germany. During his time there he received special training for military intervention in dealing with civil unrest and his unit was on high alert to be sent to Paris when de Gaulle’s Fifth Republic almost capitulated to street riots and anarchy in 1968. Yves was particularly interested in military history and would have liked to have made the French Army his career. He reckoned that he first got an appetite for the military from DCS CCF instruction. However, after national service his father ‘ordered’ him home to join the family Domaine Doudet Naudin wine business, a producer of Burgundy reds of the highest quality based in Savigny. Yves worked alongside his father until the latter’s death in 1988, after which he became the sole owner/manager of the prestigious business until 2008. In late 2007 he underwent an operation for early cancer of the oesophagus but in spite of recovering well, he lacked the stamina to continue to run the business and transferred executive duties for the wine trade and vineyards in 2008 to his daughter. Whilst continuing to maintain a deep interest in the family business, Yves was able to find more time at this stage for local charitable work. He would always say that life had given him so much, now it was time to give something to others. He became president of ‘Association
SUMMER 2015 I FLECKER 19