Obituaries

Peter Stracey (24-35) Born 1918, died September 2011, aged 93.

Peter Stracey was born on the 21 June 1918 and died on the 29 September 2011. He was the only child of Samuel and Annie Stracey. Peter’s father was an accountant with the Newcastle Electricity Supply Company, and a Freemason, having been a member of the Gosforth Lodge.

When Peter was 12 years old, his father took him to watch Newcastle United play at St James’ Park. Sam Stracey contracted pneumonia that day, there were no suitable antibiotics available in those days, and he died from the pneumonia shortly afterwards, leaving Annie to bring Peter up on her own.

After Peter left school, he commenced studying to become a solicitor, but did not complete his training before the then, he was a serving member of the TA and was therefore one of the first to be called up for war service. He served throughout the war with the 51st Highland Brigade of the 8th Army, rising to the rank of Acting Major. Peter served in North Africa, Italy and Greece where he acquired his interest in sailing.

Many would assume that the loss of part of his index finger was as a result of a wound in mortal combat. In fact, his finger was caught in a jeep door by accident, and that lead to the partial amputation. That minor accident saved his life. He was invalided out of the next mission, where the Officer who took his place was killed.

Shortly after the end of the war, and after Peter had qualified, he and Eric Glenton approached Bill Patterson, (who during the war had run the practice of Bellwood & Patterson as a sole practitioner, in South Shields) and agreed terms for a partnership between them. And so the firm with that familiar name of Patterson Glenton & Stracey came into being.

He was immensely proud of what the firm achieved during his working life as a partner, and rightly so. There was a perfect blend of all necessary skills for a legal practice of that era, and the firm had offices during the years when Peter was a partner, in Newcastle, Jarrow and Gosforth as well as South Shields. Peter acquired extensive experience in the law relating to the fast developing entertainment industry, planning law (with particular reference to caravan sites) and associated liquor licensing matters. He retired outbreak of the second world war. By

as a consultant in 1990, having been a working member of PG&S for over 40 years.

In 1950 Peter became a Freemason by joining the St Lawrence Lodge in South Shields. He was appointed or honoured in various ways on about 50 occasions. When he died, he was Very Worshipful Brother Peter Stracey, holding the Grand Rank of Past Grand Sword Bearer, having been Deputy Provincial Grand Master and Deputy Grand Superintendent. His greatest achievement during his time as a Freemason was masterminding the project which resulted in the development of Peter Stracey House, in Fulwell, Sunderland. In the early 1990s, Peter grasped an opportunity to acquire the property on behalf of the appropriate Masonic charity, the total cost of the project including conversion costs having been about £4 million. Through a contact he had with the North of England Building Society, Peter arranged a mortgage for half that amount. The risk paid off and this sheltered housing development has already been enjoyed by hundreds of people. It’s a fitting and lasting testament to Peter as an individual, and to his service to the Freemasonry movement.

Peter was married twice, first to Muriel Emily Waugh, known by all as Rill, in 1943 (when he was home on leave), and they had two children, Christine and Richard. Peter was a firm and devoted father and husband, but sadly Rill was suffering from multiple sclerosis. The illness became unrelenting during the 1960s and early 70s and she died in 1971.

When Peter married for the second time, to Pat Littlehales, née Germaine, he acquired two more children (Jan and Ruth) in addition to his own. He had three grandchildren of his own through Christine and four more whom he treated as his own, born to Jan and Ruth. He also had two great grandchildren. Peter was immensely proud of them all.

His children, step-children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and sons in law have so many fond memories of Peter. He was incredibly energetic, supportive and truly a larger than life character. We will miss him enormously.

Ian McCreath (son in law)

Gerald Ogilvie Laing (45-46) Born 1936, died 23 November 2011, aged 75.

I fancy few people appreciate what a significant contribution ONs have made in the field of the visual arts, from George Gray, still-life and portrait painter in the late 18th Century, and William Nicholson, another distinguished portrait painter, and founder of the Scottish Academy of Painting and Sculpture, down to the present. But no Old Novo artist has achieved greater celebrity than Gerald Ogilvie Laing, sculptor and pop artist and a collateral descendant of the founder of the Laing Art Gallery.

Few of us will remember him at school, since after his time in the junior school, he went on to Berkhamsted and then Sandhurst. I knew him as a small boy, since his family were neighbours, and we met again years later, when he was serving in Belfast as a newly commissioned subaltern in the RNF, and our battalion was quartered nearby in County Down.

His army career lasted only until 1960, when he resigned to enrol at art school, where he soon produced an iconic image of Brigitte Bardot. He next went to New York, joining the circle of Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Indiana and quickly made his mark, becoming a leading exhibitor. To the surprise of many he returned to Britain in 1969 and acquired the derelict Kinkell Castle on the Black Isle Richard Pulford (57-62) Born 1944, died August 2011, aged 67.

president of PEARLE (the Performing Secretary, Pulford left the civil service to become deputy Secretary General of the Arts Council. In 1986 he moved to the South Bank Centre, where he was General Director. In 1992 he decided to go freelance as an arts consultant, taking the opportunity to work on various projects abroad.

peninsula near Inverness, which he set about faithfully restoring as a home for his large family. Turning to monumental sculpture, he became equally successful, with works including a portrait bust of Sir Paul Getty, the Glengarry memorial on the Isle of Skye and sports-themed work at Twickenham and Lord’s.

After 2004 he returned to painting, with a series entitled New Paintings for Modern Times, some of which stirred up controversy. His works are in the National Gallery and other venues in London and New York, as well as in private hands, not least those of Jerry Hall and Kate Moss. His paintings on the Iraq war were last exhibited in Newcastle in 2007.

It would be nice to think that whoever taught drawing in the junior school of the 1940s had a tiny hand in Gerald’s

Bryan Stevens (44-49)

Richard Pulford was educated at the RGS and St Catherine’s College, Oxford, where he read Law. He spent a year in the Sudan with VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) before becoming a fast-track civil servant, working in both the Treasury and the Department of Education.

At the age of 35, having already reached the position of Assistant Later he became Chief Executive of the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and of the Theatrical Management Association (TMA, the equivalent organisation for regional theatres), working hard to maintaining and expanding links between British and continental theatre. He also served as development!

Arts Employers’ League Europe) from 2005 to 2009.

William Douglas (Doug) Harrison (30-39) Born 1922, died August 2011, aged 89.

Douglas Harrison was born in Newcastle and moved to Monkseaton as young boy. He attended the RGS from eight years old. His main sport was boxing but he also played rugby and had some success in athletics. On leaving he went to read metallurgy at King’s College, Durham. Before completing his degree he volunteered to serve in the RAF during the second world war. He spent time as a pilot trainer in New Zealand before going on to become a bomber pilot, when he mainly flew Halifaxes. He was shot down over Germany in October 1944 and spent several months in a German prisoner of war camp in Poland David Hardman (62-72) born 1954, died 16 July 2011, aged 57. William Harrison (30-39) born 1922, died August 2011, aged 89. Bryan Jeffrey (43-54) born 1936, died 10 September 2011, aged 75. Mark Dunstan (88-90) born 1972, died 24 October 2011, aged 39. Stuart Graham (56-63) born 1945, died 17 November 2011, aged 66. It is with great sadness that I report the death of my good friend Stuart Graham. Stuart and I were in the same school year, and also trained together at the Dental School. He died after a long illness borne with great courage. J Gibson (56-63).

(StalagLuft III). After a forced march to eastern Germany to another prison camp as the Russians advanced, he was eventually repatriated after the Russians took over the camp and he walked out to the American lines. After the war Doug completed his degree and married Sheila in 1948. They had four children. Doug’s career in the steel industry took him from metallurgist at Vickers, to foundry manager at Stanton and Staveley and eventually rising to become Chairman of the Foundries Division of Davy International. It also took him from Tyneside to Chesterfield in Derbyshire where he became treasurer of the local Presbyterian Church. From there the family moved to Fife, Teesside and Lancashire before he retired to the Alnwick area of Northumberland.

During his time in Derbyshire, Doug’s main hobby was sailing a dinghy that he built himself. In his retirement he became involved in the local community as chairman of the local village hall committee. He also renewed his work with wood. This gift first manifested itself as a boy when he made model wooden boats. On his marriage he made furniture and toys for the children. When Doug retired he made rocking horses for his grandchildren and then went on to carve beautiful detailed animals and figures. He gave away almost all his carvings which may be found in the homes of his family, friends and neighbours as a lasting memorial. He is survived by Sheila, his four

children and his eight grandchildren. Mervyn Heppell Rutherford (44-51) born 1932, died 4 November 2011, aged 79.

David Rhys Edwards (41-49) born 1930, died 24 November 2011, aged 81.

Alan C Cook (46-54) born 1935, died 17 November 2011, aged 76. Alan Cook died in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. He was exhibitioner of King’s College Cambridge, consultant petrologist and formerly foundation professor of geology at the University of Wollongong, Australia. From 1999 to 2007 he was the President of the International Committee for Coal and Organic Petrology.

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