Griffen 2014

18 Obituaries / OA Club Awards David. He showed an early aptitude for learning, for singing - and for mimicry. After Kimbolton School and Downing College Cambridge he joined the Physics department of Abingdon School in 1951. He proved to be a very good and popular teacher and in 1957 became head of department, in which role he was an undoubted success. But there was far more to him than that. He hugely enriched life out of the classroom for all who were lucky enough to come under his brilliant, good-natured, humorous and pun-laden spell. He ran the Film, Photographic and Tape Recording Societies. He helped to coach the school’s oarsmen. He had a wonderful countertenor voice and sang in the chapel choir. He also sang leading roles in the Handel operas produced by Alan and Frances Kitching in the Unicorn Theatre, including the English premier of Agrippina. Most famously, he was a member of The Master Singers, the staff group whose acclaimed record of The Highway Code made it to No. 25 in the UK pop chart. He was much in demand for his one- man sketches, including Alan Bennett’s ‘sardine tin of life’ sermon, which always had us rolling in the aisles - “But my brother Esau is an hairy man, and I am a smooth man” as it begins, giving JJH his nickname of ‘Smooth’. Abingdon was devastated when he moved on to Glasgow Academy in 1965. I was thrilled to have another dose of his magic when in 1981 he came to St Edmund’s in Canterbury for his final teaching years. This talented and witty but unassuming and gentlemanly schoolmaster par excellence lit up all our lives and we are privileged to have known him. John Tyson (Common Room 1960-1966) From Eric Firth (1960) I was so sorry to hear of John Horrex’s death. As my physics teacher at Abingdon from 1957 to 1960, his enthusiasm and encouragement were, to a great degree, responsible for instilling a lifelong love of, and interest in, science and technology. In addition, it set me on the road to a fulfilling, satisfying and happy career in electronics and systems engineering. Thanks to his brilliant tuition, I can still derive the equation for centrifugal motion from first principles! For all this, I am eternally grateful to him. His extracurricular activities are worthy of note; in particular his beautiful singing voice - how well I remember his performance as Katisha in the Mikado. Thank you John, may you rest in peace. Tony Jordan (1948) passed away on 11 March 2013. Brian Edward Stacey (1957) Brian left Abingdon in 1957 for Birmingham University where he graduated with B.Com. He then worked for 3M followed by the Milk Marketing Board and lived in the Thames Ditton part of Esher, Surrey. By persuading local businesses to advertise in the residents’ magazine, he raised enough backing to pay for the printing of the first year’s issues of Thames Ditton Today, which is still in existence. He became marketing manager at Trusthouses Forte followed by marketing director at Crest Hotels. This was in 1977 when he and his family moved to rural Oxfordshire where he enthusiastically raised all manner of poultry in his garden of one acre. His final job was as marketing director of Granada Motorway Services where apart from being responsible for many other initiatives, he conceived the idea of and carried out to fruition the installation of lodges in most of the service areas. On retirement, he was able to give more time to his great love, politics, by helping to launch David Cameron in Witney and serving as a Conservative Party councillor on West Oxfordshire District Council. He felt unwell for most of 2012 and was diagnosed with renal cancer at the beginning of August. Brian died on 29 September 2013. Hilary Stacey Charles Stone (1942) passed away on 8 May 2013. Michael Vallance (Common Room 1957-1961) Michael Vallance was appointed as Assistant Master in English in 1957, and contributed much to the School both in the classroom, on the games field, and as house-tutor of Waste Court. He left Abingdon in 1961 to take up a similar appointment at Harrow. Michael was Headmaster of Durham School (1972- 1982) and Headmaster of Bloxham School (1982-1991). He died peacefully at home on 22 October 2013. Stuart Vickers (1947) passed away on 13 July 2013. In last year’s edition of the Griffen, we remembered John Rayson (OA 1942), who gave a lifetime of service to Abingdon School, including many years as President of the Old Abingdonian Club. As a lasting memorial to John Rayson, the OA Club has established the John Rayson Award. Carrying a value of £500, and funded jointly by the OA Club and John Rayson’s son, Adrian Rayson (OA 1973), the Award will go to a current pupil at Abingdon School to help fund a personal project/ experience that embodies the defining characteristics of John Rayson – adventure, courage and resilience coupled with service, loyalty, and commitment. The John Rayson Award