In Memoriam

Our tributes to ORs and friends whose deaths we have sadly learned about this year.

Richard Bawtree (former Teacher of Biology)

To June 2001 We were kindly informed by OR Tim Smith (Mullens 1979) of the death of former teacher, Richard Bawtree, who taught Physics from 1973 to 1978. Tim had recently made contact with Mrs Bawtree in the hope of speaking to his former master, but was sadly told that Richard died unexpectedly in June 2001, aged just 51. Tim passed on condolences on behalf of Reed’s and the OR community.

After leaving Reed’s, Richard went to teach at Cranleigh School for a year, moved into industry for 18 years and, subsequently, returned to teaching at St George’s in Weybridge. Tim remembers Richard as a kind and popular teacher who had a profound influence on him both as his Physics teacher and, latterly, as his year tutor. He also remembers ‘RSB’ having the biggest lapels, the widest ties and the most wicked flares, being the best double bass player and sharing his aversion to the sports field.

Anthony ‘Tony’ Cole (Mullens 1958)

June 1941 to April 2015 We discovered, by chance, that Tony sadly passed away in 2015. We are making efforts to contact his family to pass on our condolences; a full obituary will included in the next edition of The Reeder.

Chris Player (Blathwayt 1964)

August 1947 to January 2018 We were saddened to hear of the death of Chris from his wife, Jenny, who explained that he passed away on 6th January 2018 but remained positive to the end despite having many trips to hospital in his last three years.

Chris is very much missed by his wife and five children: Toby, Ben (from his first marrage), Jeremy, Luke and Sarah and two grandchildren, Remi and Easton.

Chris worked in publishing for many years and set up a successful book distribution business, Astam Books, representing many large academic international publishers in Australia where the family lived. As well as being a busy business owner and father, he worked on a small farm south of Sydney. Even having a disability from polio, leaving his left leg weak, did not stop him reaching his goals: his adventurist spirit and single-minded ambition made him a great role model for his children.

Chris Cadzow (Mullens 1955)

March 1939 to January 2020 We are grateful to OR Derek Owen (Capel 1955), close friend of Chris, for informing us of his sad death. Our thanks too to Roger Mew (Bristowe 1959) for compiling this tribute.

Chris joined Reed’s in September 1950, aged 10, on the same day as Derek, both Foundation pupils. Chris wore a built-up shoe arising from a failed operation on his leg as a youngster, so his sporting ability was limited although he managed a bit of cricket and was a reasonable slow bowler. He was a popular boy and Secretary of the Stamp Club.

On leaving School, his first job

was with Kolster Brandes Ltd, manufacturers of radio and TV components. He then joined the BBC working on design systems for colour TV. In the late 1970s, Chris left the BBC to start his own electronics company carving itself a niche as a specialist supplier of modular products and time-code equipment, holding a prominent position in the European market.

Derek was in the same industry and, curiously, his and Chris’s companies were both suppliers and customers to each other but also competitors in some products. They were fortunate to attend trade shows in places like Amsterdam, Montreux, Dubai, Singapore, Sydney, and Las Vegas, often staying in the same hotel with their wives.

Chris and his wife Anne attended OR reunions occasionally. Sadly, Anne passed away about four years ago and Chris had been suffering from Parkinson’s for quite a few years and was wheelchair bound. Despite this, when Derek last visited him, four months before his passing, Chris remained in good spirits, still quite ‘with it’ and his appetite, love of good wine, G&Ts and liqueurs still unchanged.

Chris and Anne had no children, but his elder brother, Neil and son, also Chris, both resident in Australia, were able to attend the funeral. Derek concludes by saying: “Chris was always a true gentleman in every sense of the word and an excellent engineer and salesman. However, he will be best remembered for his generosity and his encyclopaedic knowledge of fine wines, liqueurs and French cuisine plus his uncanny knack of finding the most amazing and unusual restaurants and hotels anywhere in the world”.

Brian (‘Nobby’) Turner (Bristowe 1954)

June 1937 to January 2020 This lovely tribute has very kindly been compiled by Brian’s friend and former team mate, OR George Spinks (Mullens 1953), with input from other ORs who remember Brian fondly.

Brian and I were at Reed’s at roughly the same time, but I was actually in the same year as his brother, Barry. Although we didn’t have much to do with each other, we were bonded by the fact that most of us were at Reed’s as a result of losing one or both parents.

In the early sixties, I was living in Streatham and Brian was living in a flat nearby with another OR, Derek Osman (Capel 1948). It was when we joined the OR Rugby Club that we became great friends. I don’t recall much time spent on any formal rugby training but, at least once a week, we would keep fit by running around Tooting Bec Common or attending a weekly session at the Lucas Tooth Gymnasium near London Bridge. During the summer, we also played cricket. Brian was a fine batsman, not in the Corinthian style but, when the chips were down and you needed someone to stay at the crease, Brian was your man.

Brian was a printer by trade and, in those days, it was a very well paid job; ever generous, he was always first at the bar. They were halcyon times in the company of our other great friends, Rodney Pearson, Bill Lee, and Hayden Morgan.

I am somewhat hazy on dates, but Brian went to South Africa, possibly because his brother Barry was working in Africa. He returned to England in the late nineties and settled in Beare Green near Dorking. He then met Alison and they set up home together. Brian and Alison moved to Weedon, near Northampton, where they bought a canal boat and happily chugged their way around the UK for several years. After selling the boat, they bought a motor home and enjoyed eleven years travelling the UK and Europe. He loved driving and it was only ill health in the last couple of years that finally made him stop touring. Sport was always important to him and, with Alison’s support, he was able to follow the success of Reeds Weybridge rugby as well as the international scene.

I have so many happy memories of Brian, especially through our combined interest in rugby and cricket – an uncomplicated character, a great sportsman and excellent company.

Dr Peter Harry Miles (Blathwayt 1955)

September 1940 to January 2020 This tribute has very kindly been compiled by OR Roger Mew (Bristowe 1959) in liaison with Clare, Peter’s daughter.

For medical reasons, Peter’s father was prevented from joining the services in WW2 but, unfortunately, died after contracting flu during the national epidemic in March 1946. He had owned a confectionery business and, sponsored by the Confectioners’ Association, Peter gained a place at Reed’s as a Foundation pupil in 1951. During his time at Reed’s, he was active in the Scouts, the ACF, and attended to his allotment. As reported in The Reeder 2010, Peter was presented with a Royal Humane Society Award for his brave attempt in 1954 to save a Reed’s boy from drowning at Black Pond.

Peter left school in 1955 to join the naval dockyards in Portsmouth and, after completing a five-year apprenticeship, left – first to a career in politics then to the newspaper industry. He qualified as an Offshore Yacht Master with the Royal Yacht Association and helped crew various boats around the world, notably on one difficult transatlantic crossing to the Caribbean. He completed a Masters degree in Marketing from Nottingham then a PhD in Philosophy from Derby at the late age of 63 following which he turned to teaching and spent time in Asia, Africa, and the Philippines. He spent considerable time in the Philippines involving 16 round trips developing its tourism industry with his marketing skills and, for his efforts, was appointed Visiting Professor of International Tourism at The Asian Institute of Tourism.

Peter had married Christine in 1965 and daughter, Clare, was born in 1967 followed by son, Andrew, in 1969. Sadly two separate tragedies struck the family: Peter’s wife died in 1991, aged 52; then his son, Andrew, died suddenly in 2007. Peter was teaching tourism and marketing in the Philippines, had built a property, and was running a letting business in Britannia House. However, by 2009 Peter’s health was declining and, as the cost and availability of medicine in the Philippines was becoming an issue, he decided to return to UK and settled in Beeston near his daughter.

Throughout his life Peter had a wide range of interests and in his later years had travelled the world extensively. With his passing he leaves a sister (Sylvia), daughter, a son-in-law and four grandchildren, aged 21 to 13.

Peter Stoehr (Bristowe 1974)

August 1955 to February 2020 We are grateful to Ben and Joe, sons of Peter, for allowing us to edit their wonderful tribute to their father. Our condolences to them, his wife, Gail, and extended family.

Peter was born in Averley near Romford to Sheila and Hans Stoehr and had an older sister, Lynn. He attended Penthorpe School and then gained a scholarship at Reed’s as a boarder. It was there that his love of sport grew. He played some rugby, but his true love was

cricket: a passion that would last all his life. Peter was Reed’s Captain of Cricket in 1973/1974 and was proud of his entries in Wisden for having the best bowling average for Reed’s in 1971: 10 wickets for 79 runs.

Peter obtained a degree in Botany & Zoology at Nottingham University and then a Masters in Applied Genetics from Birmingham. In 1977, Peter met Gail and they were married in 1985. He started his working career at Newcastle University in the Agriculture Department and was captain of its staff cricket team in the early 1980s (there’s a pattern here). In 1982, they moved to Milton and, by luck or design, bought a flat overlooking the cricket field. Peter played cricket for Milton over many years, captaining the club between 2001 and 2009 before becoming club president until he passed away.

Work took him, Gail and young son, Ben, to Heidelberg where Joe and Katie were later born. They all returned to England in 1994 when he (along with a few colleagues) was tasked with setting up a UK outpost for his then employer, EMBL. Peter took early retirement in 2012 and, immediately, went back to work as a consultant at the same company, seemingly doing the same thing that he had just retired from.

Once he had properly retired, he spent a lot of his time back in the garden, growing everything from potatoes and carrots to chillies and mushrooms. In the last year or so, Peter took up pickleball, a sort of scaled-up table-tennis, and quickly excelled in it. He attended a couple of international open events where he won a gold and three silver medals.

Peter had an incredible sense of humour, which ranged from very highbrow and intellectual to childish and immature. On just about every device, he had created a jokes folder which he loved to share with his grandchildren. Peter loved his family and friends, dedicating a huge amount of time to digitising old family photographs and videos into an incredible collection. He also spent a lot of time researching and updating his family tree, claiming to have a direct line to King Henry 4th, his 19th great grandfather!

Peter leaves his wife Gail, sons Ben and Joe, daughter Katie, and grandchildren Finley, Ollie, Ava and Rosie, but also extended family, friends, colleagues and team-mates who often credited Peter for his calm demeanour, good humour, loyalty, perfect manners, supportiveness, and a sportsman-like competitiveness.

Christine Kemp (former Teacher of MFL, Close Housemistress)

July 1959 to March 2020 A wonderful tribute from Christine’s loving husband, Paul Kemp, and her adoring family.

Christine was an incredibly kind and loving person, always putting others before herself, treating everyone with the same warmth, compassion and good humour. She died in March after a four-year battle with cancer, a battle she fought so bravely and with great positivity.

It was especially cruel that, after 25 years at Reed’s, she should retire with much to look forward to with her family and the grandsons she loved so dearly and yet be diagnosed just three months afterwards. She enjoyed good health for long periods in the fight and made the most of this to create wonderful memories, even when suffering from the sideeffects of copious bouts of chemo. She was energetic and friendly, always making people feel good about themselves. Her devotion to her family was extraordinary and her dedication to her work unparalleled. Many a pupil has commented on what she did for them and many staff have praised her unselfishness.

Christine was born in Manchester to a Mancunian mum and a Polish dad and was the middle child, having an older sister, Barbara, and a younger brother, Michael. She spoke Russian and French and, after degrees at Leeds and York Universities, she got a languages teaching post in Warrington before meeting me in 1985 and moving to Macclesfield, where we married in 1986. In 1990, we moved to Reed’s while she was pregnant with son, Michael; daughter, Alex was two. In the mid-1990s Reed’s made an error with timetabling and found themselves a French teacher short for one class so Chris stepped into the breach and the rest is history. She taught languages until retiring in August 2015 but also helped run The Close from 1998 to 2010, and here she did so much for pupils and parents, a surrogate mum to many children and a friendly face to all.

Between 1995 and 2010 Christine looked after no less than 39 ‘gap’ students, another job to which she gave so much. She was their confidante and friend, treating them like sons. She must have trained them well as one, Jono Douthwaite, is Housemaster of The Close now! Christmas also saw Christine arranging the staff children’s party which – to this day – remains a feature of the Reed’s community, a community that she showed unwavering commitment

to and was very much at the centre of. Then there were the bonfire nights at The Close which always heralded the start of the build-up to Christmas and led to her wonderful decorations which made Christmas at The Close so special.

She went on many school trips, often because she could not say no. She ran the First Form summer trip to France for many years and was an avid member of the choir. Her beaming smile and bubbly personality uplifted so many occasions and she was a feature of so many OR Reunions which she always looked forward to because she thought so much of other people.

She will be sorely missed but will remain forever in so many hearts and minds, and one suspects that this will be evident when COVID-19 finally allows her memorial service at Reed’s to take place.

Anthony (Tony) Lincoln Richford (Blathwayt 1961)

June 1943 to March 2020 This tribute has been kindly provided by Lynn Richford, widow of Tony. We send our condolences to her and all the family.

Sadly, we were unable to have a family cremation due to the Coronavirus; we had to settle for a family Zoom and a drink in Tony’s memory on the day of his cremation. It just happened that Tony was cremated 75 years to the day that his own father was killed in Germany at the end of WW2. His mother thought a boy’s school would be good for him, so Tony joined Reed’s at the age of 11 in 1954 but found his first term difficult. He returned after Christmas and, from then on, was happy and well into school life. He particularly enjoyed hockey and was a member of the School team. He left Reed’s after A Levels and did a sandwich course with the gas board, six months in Croydon and six months at Aston University in Birmingham. He did not enjoy the factory environment, so decided to give Barclays Bank a try. He said the best things about university were learning to play bridge and meeting me!

We met in June 1962 and Tony joined Barclays in the September; he was very happy right from the word go. He started in the Mount Street branch and, through the years, progressed to be manager of branches in Fleet Street, Pall Mall and Head Office. He went to Zimbabwe for three months in 1974 to help bring the branches up to date after all the upheaval the country had been through. We moved to Cambridge in 1980 where Tony took responsibility for most of the branches in the area. After two years, he returned to London and finished his banking career managing Harlow, Stanstead, and Bishop Stortford.

Tony and I married in 1964 and had three children, Julie, Mark and Joanna. They are all happily married and we have six grandchildren. Tony and I were able to indulge our fascination for foreign travel and travelled extensively – we returned from a Norwegian cruise three weeks before he passed away

He was a beloved husband, a wonderful father, an adored ‘gramps’ to his grandchildren, and a popular and well respected member of the community.

Tim Cotton (Blathwayt 1971)

December 1951 to March 2020 It was with great sadness that we heard from Adrian Ricks of Tim’s death. Below we have a touching note kindly sent by his widow, Julia, and also a tribute from Adie, showing just how enduring Reed’s friendships are.

From Julia: My darling, stoical husband Tim fought his huge battle against throat cancer for seven-and-a-half years. He did this against all the odds and in despite of all that it stripped from him. His incredible fortitude and ‘joie de vivre’ were truly inspirational. His family apart, the love of his life was r ugby; never was he more animated than when he was watching his beloved game with his ‘brothers in arms’.

From Adie: Tim was a wonderful friend for almost 50 years. We met at Reed’s in the late 1960s drawn together on the sports field. Not only was Tim a speedy winger, with a ferocious tackle at both rugby and hockey, but he could also smash a cricket ball out of the ground with ridiculous power for a relatively small bloke.

He was well liked by all; a modest and self-effacing guy which probably accounts for the complete lack of photos over our long friendship. In those days, when you were out with your mates, selfies and posing was just about the last thing on your mind, hence the only photos I can find and include were the official School ones.

Over the years, I had wonderful times with Tim, mainly on the water. We visited the Isle of Wight each year for the powerboat racing, inevitably getting into all sorts of trouble! More recently, we enjoyed quiet days out in his sailing boat, me with rod in hand trying to catch supper. He was invariably late for everything, always dishevelled, bumbling along like a modern-day Detective Colombo (for those of you struggling, google 1970s detective series!) but you could only love him.

He was incredibly lucky to meet the love of his life, Julia, who presented him with the apple of his eye, Ella, and Tom, who brought much joy to the family. How how lucky was he to have that trio looking after him towards the end. My love and very best to the Cotton family; you did an amazing job. I’ll never forget my friend, Tim: he touched many lives, mine included. RIP Tim and get those beers in for my arrival.

John Leach (former Head of Music, Reed’s School)

July 1937 to July 2020 We are indebted to Philip Leach, nephew of John, for taking the time to let us know the sad news of his uncle’s death. This tribute is an amalgamation of the eulogies delivered at John’s funeral which the family have kindly approved.

John Malcolm Leach was born on 15th July 1937 in Brockley, London to parents David & Phyllis. He was the younger brother to Tony, my father, by some six years. In 1942 the family moved to Pinner, Middlesex, which they had decided was a safer place to be during wartime.

Their father worked at the Baltic Exchange and was a notable baritone. He had seriously considered making his career as a professional singer but, after much thought, chose the more conventional route. His wife, Phyllis, taught piano at RADA. So, as my father Tony often said: ‘You can see where John’s talent and passion for music came from’. My dad also commented that John was the true academic of the two of them, Tony being the much more practical man. This was further proven when John went on to study Music at Magdalen College Cambridge, graduating in 1960. The two brothers had a great love and respect for each other in spite of being such entirely different characters. Sadly for our family, both Tony and John both passed away within 15 days of each other.

John taught at Reed’s from 1967 to 1971 and then went on to Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester. At his funeral, one of his former pupils gave a touching tribute, praising John for helping those who were having a rough ride, offering his support when needed and sometimes flying in the face of authority to stand up for what was true, what was right, and what was just.

John lived for his music, and was described as ‘an out-and-out’ musician. He wrote a book on harmony in classical music; he was an examiner for musical examinations; he was one of the organists at St Mary, Ellenbrook and - at one point - was the stand-in choirmaster and organist at Manchester Cathedral.

John was indeed a gentleman – and a gentle man. He was softly spoken and unfailingly courteous, a throwback to an earlier age where old-world charm was the rule rather than the exception. His funeral took place on 6th August at St Mark’s Church, Worsley, and included the Reed’s hymn, Lead Us, Heavenly Father, Lead Us.

Rt Hon Kevin Pakenham, former Foundation Appeal President and Vice-President of Reed’s School

(November 1947 to July 2020) We were saddened to read about the death of Rt Hon Kevin Pakenham in the news; our condolences go to his whole family, including his three Old Reedonian nephews – Guy, Harry and Richard. Below is an extract of the obituary which appeared in The Telegraph.

Kevin Pakenham, who died suddenly at 72, sustained a high-profile career in the City of London over five decades; but the youngest son of eight children to the Labour cabinet minister and penal reformer, Lord Longford, and acclaimed historical biographer, Elizabeth Longford, refused to conform to stereotypes and ranged widely in a vivid life that was lived to the full, embracing literature, politics and, latterly, his own tireless work for prisoners.

He was born on 1st November 1947 in north London. He was educated at St Philip’s and followed his brothers Thomas, Paddy, and Michael to Ampleforth College.

As a PPE student at New College, Oxford, in the Swinging Sixties, he founded Cover, a university magazine. Even after 1972, when he was busy making a name for himself in the global asset management industry based in the City of London, he continued to write for his own satisfaction. In the months before his death, with the help of his third wife, the award-winning ITN correspondent, Ronke Phillips, he had been putting together a collection of his own poems. It will be published in November as Songs of Love.

Though there was no great family connection with the world of finance, his decision to choose a career in the City after doing postgraduate studies in Economics at St Antony’s College, Oxford, could be seen as a rebellion against all that his parents had instilled in him. He liked jokingly to describe himself as the only right-winger in a left-wing family.

His career in the financial world saw him hold senior positions at Rothschild Intercontinental Bank, Ivory & Sime, American Express Bank, and F&C Management, before he became, from 1988, chief executive of the fund manager, John Govett and Co, and from 1996 of AIB Asset Management. In 2000 he joined Putnam Lovell, and from 2007 was managing director of Jeffries International. In 2011, he started Pakenham Partners, his own corporate finance advisory firm.

The loss of his sister in a car crash had a profound influence on him. If he inherited from his parents a strong sense of the value of hard work and making your mark in the world, then there was also in his make-up ever after Catherine’s death, a determination to live life to the full.

Alongside his career in the City, and his writing, he shared his family’s long-standing commitment to making society a better place, as a trustee and treasurer of the Ireland Fund of Great Britain from 1989 to 2009, and from 2002 as the founding chairman of the Longford Trust, set up to continue his father’s commitment to rehabilitation as part of his high-profile mission as a prison reformer. As fundraiser in chief, his efforts sustained the trust’s work in supporting ex-prisoners through university and into careers.

John Wimbleton (Blathwayt 1959)

(August 1942 to July 2020) John was born on 20th August 1942 at Kimberworth, Rotherham, son of Ronald and Nellie. His father had been invalided out of the RAF and was working as a transport manager. At the end of the War, the family moved to Watford and after living for a time with his grandfather in South Ealing, they moved back to Rotherham where he attended Herringthorpe Junior School.

On the death of his father in October 1950, with the help of the Bishop of Sheffield and assistance from the Royal Airforce Benevolent fund, he joined Reed’s in September 1953. John left School in July 1959 and started work as a police cadet in Newark.

John was appointed as a Constable to the Nottinghamshire Constabulary on 20th August 1961, his 19th birthday. John was first stationed at Warsop but was then moved to Newark in 1964. He transferred to Sutton in Ashfield in 1968 where he married and remained until 1989 when he was seconded to the Firearms Licensing Department. When these Firearms Enquiry Officers posts became civilianised in 1992, John was successful in applying, so retired as a Police Officer after thirty-one years of full creditable service. John remained as a civilian Firearms and Explosives Licensing Officer until 20th August 2007. Upon retirement John continued with his police links by being a member of NARPO, the National Association of Retired Police Officers.

At this time, John was also an active member of the Freemasons, becoming Worshipful Master of Ashfield Lodge in 1995. He received the honour of a Great Priory rank of Past Great Aide de Camp in 2015 and on the 11th October last year, he became the Provincial Sub Prior of Nottinghamshire.

When living in Calverton, near Nottingham, John attended St Peter’s Church and used to help drive elderly folk to church on a Sunday morning. It was here that he met his second wife, Glenda, in 1997. They married in St Peter’s on the 11th August 2001 and John became Church Warden at St Peter’s in April 2002.

John is survived by Glenda, his three children – Kathryn, Richard and James – and his four grandchildren – Julian, Charlie, Noah and Grace.

Christopher Pacey (Bristowe 1965)

February 1947 to July 2020

It was with great sadness we received this touching message from Christine Pacey about the sad death of her husband, Chris. We offer her and the Pacey family our sincere condolences.

My husband, Christopher Pacey, sadly passed away on 28th July due to terminal lung disease. He had been suffering for some years with his breathing and spent a couple of months earlier this year in hospital. On his return home, however, he still wasn’t quite right. The respiratory medical team was unable to identify the cause so had planned to send him to a renowned London hospital which might have been able to administer the correct diagnosis and medical treatment. Sadly, this was at the time we found ourselves in lockdown, so there was no chance of him going.

Chris ran a well-respected business in Dorset for many years. Reed’s gave him the independence necessary to be a chartered building surveyor, specialising in cob dwellings (a thesis of his is still filed in the library at Reading University). He was a favourite with insurance loss adjusters dealing with thatch fires. I could go on but you only need to be proud of another Reed’s pupil, now aged 73, at his early death.

He passed away with great dignity and peacefully I’m pleased to say. He was a good patient considering what he had to put up with towards the end. His funeral took place on 28th August at a woodland burial site where his ashes will subsequently be left at rest.

Our condolences to all families and friends of loved ones who have sadly passed away this year. #FIDE