Page 136 - OO_2019

www Auster, two by two, and teach them to fly. Happily at Denstone 1960s leavers’ reunion, three came up to him and told him they had taken up flying as a career, two commercial and one RAF.
“After a career as an RAF chaplain, he returned to civilian life to found a print works based on modern computer-to-press typesetting skills. This enabled a very happy relationship with Chris Piper (Sc 71), together producing The Old Oundelian for 17 years. Then a domestic ‘speed bump’ caused him to go to Canada to remarry. After a 12-year retirement ministry at Brandon Cathedral, the relentless Arctic conditions caused us to retire to Oundle, where he watched the School flourish from the touchline.”
D.J. Willats (C)
died 26th January 2019.
1954
T.J. Moorby (St A) died 12th May 2019.
1955
C.L. Dyer (Ldr)
died 22nd April 2019.
John Spragg (Lx) died 26th June 2018.
remembered very fondly by all who knew her. John excelled at sport, especially enjoying fives and rugby. He was captain of the 1st XV and Head of House. He also played for England Schools. His most notable triumph at Oundle was winning the Rosslyn Park Sevens tournament. The team, known as the Penguins, have been meeting regularly ever since, for over 60 years.
“After Oundle he turned down a place at Cambridge – offered on the grounds of rugby, not academia – as he didn’t want to burden his parents with the expense. He did National Service instead before going into business.
“He married Vanessa in 1964 and had four children – Caroline, Robert, Guy (Sc 88) and James (Sc 92). The three boys all went to Oundle and all of them followed his footsteps into the 1st XV.
“He maintained strong links with Oundle throughout his life and we were privileged to meet all of his friends from his schooldays. The evenings he had with them were full of laughter, immaturity and practical jokes. It was almost as if they had never grown up!
“He moved to Essendon in 1968 and immediately threw himself into village life. He was chairman of the governors of the local school for 23 years, ran the fete for 15 years and was treasurer and organiser for many other events. Such was his popularity that over 400 people attended his funeral. The family were inundated with letters detailing acts of kindness towards people, some of whom we hadn’t even heard of.
“Also at the funeral was an entire rugby team from Barnet. He had coached them as under-19s some 30 years earlier, but such was the impression he had made that they all turned up to bid him farewell. It was also lovely to see many of his old school friends and even the OO Club President, Richard Ellis (Sn 86), travelling to pay their respects.
“I will remember him as kind, generous, funny and loving. You can’t really ask for more than that. I get the impression that those are the attributes others saw in him as well. His death was sudden, caused by
pneumonia, so we didn’t have time to tell him what he meant to us all, but I’m sure he knew.
“He is survived and greatly missed by his wife, children, 11 grandchildren, wider family and many friends.”
A. Turner (S) died in 2017.
1956
P.J. Hancock (Ldr) died November 2018.
1957
Tony Burgess (St A)
died 1st November 2018.
His wife, Antoinette, writes: “Tony was born on 12th November 1939 in Stone, Staffordshire. On leaving Oundle, he became a chartered accountant and worked for Deloitte in London and Rhodesia, before being recalled to London at the time of Rhodesia’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence. He then joined his family company, F.H. Burgess Agricultural Engineers, where he remained until his mid-50s. Tony was then asked to join the governing body of Harper Adams University, ultimately becoming Chairman of the board. Stepping down from that position, he became Chairman of the Development Trust, where he oversaw a great period of growth at Harper Adams and where he remained until his death. Tony was awarded an MBE in 2017.
“In 1967 Tony married Antoinette Sainthill Pearse. They had three children and nine grandchildren. His family was a constant source of happiness for him – as were his
OBITUARIES
His son, Robert (Sc 86), writes: “John was born in 1936, a second son to Frank and Esme. He was very close to his brother, Michael (Lx 51). He spent an idyllic childhood in Oundle, where his father was Housemaster at St Anthony, which he ran with Esme, who is
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THE OLD OUNDELIAN 2018 –2019