Obits

Christopher Funnell

After a long teaching career in Preparatory Schools, Christopher Funnell died in April 2021 aged 92

Born in Chichester, Sussex, where he was later to meet his wife, Grace, he joined the staff of Lochinver House School in Potters Bar in about 1958 from his first teaching post which had been at Slindon House, now Slindon College.

There he became a teacher of both Latin and particularly French with some distinction and subsequently Deputy Head. He was a pivotal driving force in a wide range of other pursuits including running the games activities of football, athletics and, most particularly, cricket for which he had considerable and lifelong passion.

His very competent and enthusiastic piano playing was a major contribution to Hymn singing at daily Morning Assemblies as well as other varied musical activities within and outside the classroom. He used his keyboard skills widely, extending these later to playing the organ for his local church and so was especially popular for weddings.

Christopher Funnell at Belmont

On joining Belmont Christopher made an immediate impact both in terms of academic quality of his teaching of French and his willingness to engage in the whole spectrum of School life, particularly Chapel and extra-curricular activities. He was equally adept in introducing French to the youngest boys and explaining advanced grammar to the scholarship class, his success measured not only by a regularly high level of achievement in public exams but also by the overt enthusiasm boys displayed for the language and culture of the French.

This included of course visits to and exchanges with schools in France. Christopher’s approach to language teaching emphasised the steady building of grammatical and lexical knowledge. He wanted to give boys full confidence in their ability to manipulate the language, both orally and on paper; as a result they always gave of their best when it came to Common Entrance or scholarship exams for numerous senior schools. His calm, reassuring, soft-spoken manner was much appreciated – he always made time to listen to individuals and give help where support and advice were needed. He was in short an ideal Prep School teacher who ensured that those he taught were thoroughly prepared for the greater intellectual rough and tumble of a senior school.

Christopher was a careful listener also to colleagues, reassuring, helpful and sensitive to the culture and ethos of the Common Room. He saw also the importance of developing close links with Mill Hill staff, sharing concerns and aspirations, appreciative of the way senior linguists took on his previous charges and always eager to learn from good practice elsewhere.

Christopher Funnell former Belmont French teacher. Him and his wife Grace, the school Matron were devoted staff for 20 years from 1969

Following retirement from Belmont in 1996, on nearing the age of 60, he continued using his teaching skills at The Hall boys’ prep school in Hampstead until a personal health crisis. He, finally, had a brief period at Queenswood, the Girls Public School, quite near his home in Potters Bar.

Many OMs over several decades will have benefitted from his teaching in their early years. More or less to the end, he followed where possible and with enthusiasm the careers of his former pupils, most of whom he could recall with impressive detail.

He retained his interest in and strong commitment to the Mill Hill community by contributing very substantially to the Old Bellmontians and by becoming an OM staff member himself.

“Late November I had the honour of showing Christopher and Grace’s daughter, Ann, and granddaughter, Louise around the school. Ann had last stepped foot into the school 45 years ago when she was the Assistant Matron for 18 months. Louise has followed her grandfather’s footsteps and has become a French Teacher. It was incredible listening to her recollections of what took place in various parts of the school 45 years ago. The Learning Support department was her bedroom, the music technology room was the bath house, and the library was the dining room. It was touching to see how moved she was by being back in the school. So much had changed, with new buildings, but the long-established buildings and the core values have remained the same. Ann was disappointed that the outdoor pool had gone but on days like today I don’t think that Mr Fleet would fancy a dip.”

Akram Nadeem Ridgeway

Ayto John Burton Bank

Burt Christopher Burton Bank

Cargill Robert Murray

Clarke Rufus Ridgeway

Connelly Patrick Ridgeway

Dolamore John Burton Bank

Field Austin Ridgeway

Hanton Alastair Scrutton

Miller William Collinson

Mills Roy Ridgeway

Rhodes Alan School House

Schild David McClure

Spong Chris Winterstoke

Thomas Alan Weymouth

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