OBITUARIES

IAN MICHAEL JAMIESON (45-54)

BORN 22 MARCH 1935, DIED 28 JANUARY 2021, AGED 85

WILLIAM JOHN SWAN (47-54)

BORN 7 JUNE 1936, DIED 30 DECEMBER 2020, AGED 84

Ian Jamieson came to the RGS immediately after the war and it seems that in the Sixth Form he was finding his professional vocation, as his tutor noted that he had been “an invaluable Plender librarian”.

Leaving in 1954, he joined the staff of Newcastle City Library as an assistant librarian and studied part time, ultimately achieving his Fellowship of the Library Association. He became Head of the library’s Commercial and Technical Department, leaving in 1966 to take up a lecturing post at the Newcastle School of Librarianship, which soon became part of Newcastle Polytechnic. He developed the Local History Studies programme as part of the BA Honours Librarianship course and was appointed as a Senior Lecturer in 1976, a post he held until he retired in the mid-1990s. From 1976-2006 he wrote the chapters on local studies in the five-yearly volumes of British Librarianship and Information Work. He was a founder member of the Library Association’s Local Studies Group in 1977 and was Chairman from 1990-1994. His lasting legacy was the Group’s journal, the Local Studies Librarian, and when he became its first editor in 1982, he had probably not anticipated that he would be in post for thirty years. For this service, he was honoured by the Library Association in 1997. Local history was also a hobby and for many years he was involved with the Kenton Local History Society.

He was a keen hill-walker with a great knowledge of the Lakeland fells. It was as members of a walking group that he and his wife Bertha met in the mid-1960s, and they were able to enjoy more time for walking in their retirement when they visited the Lake District often. One of the great constants in his life was church music. He learned the piano and organ from an early age, following his father, and took up his first appointment as organist at St Columba’s, Seaton Burn at the age of just 15. After several years, he moved on to St Aidan’s, Elswick and stayed there until settling in Kenton, where he jointly became organist at the Church of the Ascension, eventually retiring after more than 30 years. It was there that his long association with Christian Aid began and he organised local collections over many years. He leaves his wife, Bertha, sons Keith and Peter, and two grandsons.

Keith Jamieson (84-91)

William John Swan was born on 7 June 1936, the youngest of three boys and was always known as John. He won a bursary scholarship to the RGS in 1947. He was never athletic and chose rowing as a sport so that he could sit down. He was also a member of the school orchestra, playing the violin. He went to King’s College, which was part of Durham University, to read History.

After National Service and a short time in the Treasurer’s Office in Newcastle he went into teaching, spending ten years teaching in Waltham Forest.

We enjoyed many holidays in the north, particularly walking in the Lake District. John retired as Deputy Director of Education in the London Borough of Redbridge in 1996. We intended moving back north in retirement but with family down south, that did not happen. We enjoyed travelling in retirement visiting: South Africa, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, South America, Canada, North America and much of Europe.

John was also very involved in the Methodist Church and we spent a year back in Newcastle in 1998, in the mission in the West End.

John enjoyed life and lived it the full. He had suffered from autonomic failure for about 16 years and died suddenly on 30 December 2020. He is greatly missed.

Mrs Judith Swan

JOSEPHS MB.BS FRCGP (32-42)

BORN

Born in Newcastle, Jessel was educated at the RGS Newcastle following in the footsteps of his older brothers David (29-34) and Reuben (34-41).

He graduated with a MB.BS Dunelm from King’s College, Newcastle in 1947. Immediately prior to the establishment of the National Health Service, his first appointment as a GP was in South Moor Stanley. After conscription for National Service in the RAMC, he served as MO at postings in Bulford, Bicester, Nottingham and the Suez Canal Zone.

On discharge from the RAMC he took up hospital appointments at Queen Elizabeth, Gateshead and South Shields

General. In 1951 he formed a General Practice partnership in South Shields and eventually retired in 1985. During his career he served as Chairman of the local BMA Branch and played an active role in establishing and running a Post Graduate Centre at South Shields General Hospital, which he continued to attend after retiring.

Jessel, together with Reuben, was one of the Penrith Evacuees in 1939. Notwithstanding the circumstances, he enjoyed his school days in Penrith and he must have made an impression on the staff.

His nephews, John Josephs (52-62) and Anthony Josephs (59-69) both recall being called “Jessel”. John was only ever called “Jessel” (never John or Josephs) by ‘Tucker’ Anderson (24-60) during his time in the Junior School while Anthony was called “Jessel” by Bill Tunstall (37-78)!

John Josephs writes: Jessel was the youngest of three Josephs brothers who attended the RGS between 1929 and 1942, my father David being the eldest. One of the Penrith evacuees, he came under care of Tucker Anderson. Tucker was clearly very fond of Jessel because throughout my time in the Junior School (1952-55) he only called me Jessel, never Josephs, and certainly never John. I was always puzzled by this, wondering how Tucker could remember someone so well and with such affection from so long ago, but as one gets older one realises that the ten years between Jessel leaving and my starting is no time at all.

In my first gym lesson in the Senior school Colonel Robinson (27-59) asked me if I was any relation to Jessel. When I confirmed that I was he told me that Jessel knew ‘Tickle Toby’, and he’d like to introduce me. He then whacked me with what looked like an extremely large and thick table tennis bat. Happy memories; how times have changed!

Following Jessel’s retirement he moved to Corbridge where he and his wife, Margaret, pursued their love of gardening and Jessel enjoyed fishing.

Sadly, he was predeceased by his daughters Elizabeth in 2013 and Margaret in 2014. He is survived by his son David, his daughter-in-law Elizabeth, his two grandchildren and two great-grandsons. RIP.

David Josephs

BRIAN ALCRAFT (44-52)

DIED 15 OCTOBER 2022, AGED 89*

WILLIAM PETER NEIL ARMOUR (55-62)

DIED 20 JUNE 2022, AGED 80

DR NEIL CARDOE (31-39)

DIED 12 JUNE 2021, AGED 98

CHRIS CORDINER (69-79)

DIED 11 FEBRUARY 2022, AGED 61

ALISTER COX (HEADMASTER 72-94)

DIED 7 NOVEMBER 2022, AGED 88*

ROBIN DUNS (57-61)

DIED 30 NOVEMBER 2022, AGED 79*

ROBERT IAN FAIR (52-62)

DIED 5 JANUARY 2023, AGED 79

JOSEPH FISHER (30-36)

DIED 10 NOVEMBER 2022, AGED 100*

ALAN MICHAEL HAWDON (74-81)

DIED 22 DECEMBER 2022, AGED 59*

GEORGE HOGG (57-64)

DIED 9 NOVEMBER 2022, AGED 76*

DAVID FREDRICK KILBORN (53-63)

DIED 2022, AGED 78*

ALAN MAURICE LARGE (52-62)

DIED 9 JANUARY 2023, AGED 78

DE LEON LE DUNE (44-51)

DIED 4 OCTOBER 2022, AGED 88*

ANDREW MALT (87-94)

DIED 2022, AGED 46

DR PETER MASON (STAFF 83-90)*

JOHN KEITH MOODIE (42-50)

DIED 29 DECEMBER 2022, AGED 91*

NORMAN THOMAS GEOFFREY OLIVER (49-57)

DIED AGED 84

STEVEN PALIN (53-61)

DIED 31 DECEMBER 2022, AGED 78

MICHAEL DAVID PULLIN (62-70)

DIED 15 MAY 2021, AGED 71

JOHN EMMERSON TASKER-BROWN (58-64)

DIED 26 NOVEMBER 2022, AGED 75

DR IAN HAMMOND TAYLOR (44-49)

DIED 5 JULY 2021, AGED 89

ALAN TOWERS (38-43)

DIED 24 JANUARY 2022, AGED 91

* An obituary will appear in the next magazine