In Memoriam

2024

Dr David Forster (DC 1954-1958)

Brian George Midgley (DC 1951-1957)

David Hogg (DC 1972-1977) who died in April 2020 from Covid.

Paul Corkill (An 1949-1954)

Nick Shillito (Pe 1966-1970)

2023

Gerry Simister (An 1945-1951)

Howard Broomby (An 1956-1961)

Christopher Alan Madge, (Mitre 1959 - 1965) Chris married Colleen in 1972 and work commitments led them to set up home in Oxfordshire. They went on to have two children, Philippa and David.

Roger Ellis, Former Headmaster (1967 - 1972)

John Coulson, (R 1967 - 1972)

John Darbyshire, (Mitre, 1949 - 1956)

Michael Elliot (JS and SE 1956- 1965)

Nicholas Nugent (DC 1945- 1949). Nicholas Nugent died on April 1st in Chichester, West Sussex, aged 91. He is survived by his wife, Anne, son Paul, and six grandchildren

John Charles Richards (DC 1960-1963)

Scott Hanson (SE 1980- 1985)

Maj. John Dumella Rose (An 1944-1950)

John Phillips (SE 1941-1949)

Eric Foster (MC 1943- 1947)

Nick Koster (SE 2005-2005)

William David Aspinall (Rose 1943-1948)

John Broome (MC 1955-1961)

Mark Phythian- Adams (AN 1952-1962)

Richard Farrell (SE 1956-1959)

Geoffrey Raymond Cunliffe (MC 1955-1958)

Frederick Louis Peter Costeloe (A 1952-1960)

Michael Bridgett (SE 1949-1957)

Michael Munby (J & SE 1947-54)

Derek Scrivener, Former CCF

Peter Mason (Rose 1958-1962)

Frank Moss (MC 1942-1945)

Garry Passam, Former Common Room

Leonard Rutherford (SE 1944-1948)

Jonathan Mills (R 1968-76)

John Barker (M 1946-1953)

William Case (F 1965-1972)

2022

Edith Steele, wife of the late Jim Steele, mother to Alastair (JS & R 58-67) (deceased) and David (JS & R 60-67) (deceased), William and Katherine

Anthony Pearson (F 53-61)

Gerry Corlett (JS & MC 36-43)

Robert Willcock (M 43-48)

Sir Holburt Waring (Dr 46-51)

Glenys Ilett (Rossall 49-80)

Edmund Rowley (MC 44-46)

John Kilner (MC 49-58)

Christopher Mitchell (R 39-43)

Jeremy Drummond (R 47-54)

Peter Barry Horne (R 52-56) Passed away May 2022 aged 83 buried in his Rossallian blazer and tie, with badges and cuff links he had acquired over the years.

David Bell (JS & M 50-57)

Robert Fawcett (JS & R 42-52)

Michael John Connor (MC 51-56)

David Evans (JS & M 56-62)

Malcolm Stephenson Cronshaw (JS & MC 55-65)

Tim Sitt (MC 2011-2016)

Hugh Trevor Porritt (A 52-57)

Edward Dunn (DC 52-56)

Joseph Morris (A 62-67)

Jonathan Ball (J & MF 70-77)

Peter Chance (Pe 48-51)

Albert Bell (F 45-48)

Martin Lowes (J & Pe 56-63)

Reverend Ronald Dyer (MC 43-46)

Michael William Laithwaite (A 47-51)

Robert Clough (MC 49-54) Passionate Old Rossallian and Foundation donor, passed away on 4th May 2022 after a nasty fall at home the previous weekend. He was 86.

Amongst his papers I have found a card from Lucinda Ross who had obviously spoken to him about his time at Rossall during a Foundation fundraising drive. Her final sentence is worth repeating - “It was an absolute pleasure to speak to you and your passion for Rossall was truly inspiring, as was your flawless rendition of the Carmen!” I can only imagine what she really thought when he started singing to her down the phone! written by Adrian Clough (J & MC 74-81)

Michael Fieldhouse Barratt (JS 38-41) Passed away July 2022 Son of a civil servant, Michael Fieldhouse Barratt was born on January 3rd 1928 in Leeds, and educated at Rossall in Lancashire and Paisley Grammar School near Glasgow. His mother died when he was nine, and his father had university ambitions for his son. but young Michael, a self-confessed shy boy, was obsessed with the idea of entering journalism.

Michael was a forthright Yorkshireman with an engaging smile who became one of the most familiar faces on British Television in the 1970s as the avuncular anchor-man of the BBC’s topical early evening news magazine Nationwide.

With his eye for a good human story, he presided nightly over a mixed bag of newsy items, political discussions, consumer affairs and light entertainment - often featuring eccentric sidelights on British life, including one particularly celebrated piece about a skateboarding duck. Often calling up contributors live from the BBC regional studies across the country, the programme was notoriously prone to technical problems, when sound or vision links (sometimes both) flickered, faltered or failed altogether.

George Alastair Charles Cooke (MC 1956-1960)

2021

Robert Emmanuel Berry (MC 43-47)

Jeremy Richardson (M 63-67 & CR 76-94) Died in a tragic bicycle accident near his new home in Wigton, Cumbria. The details are unclear, but he and his bike were found near the roadside some time later by walkers. The cause of death appears to have been severe head injuries.

I know that he touched many lives during our Rossall days and his enthusiasm for outdoor pursuits was infectious. For many years he ran the Rossall Award organisation, introducing Rossallians and Common Room members alike to a wide range of adventurous Thursday afternoon activities. He certainly inspired me and I feel fortunate to have counted him as a close friend in the years since.

After moving to Orkney with his second wife Carol in 2007, they took ownership of a remote cottage and turned it into a lovely home. Sadly, Carol passed away from ovarian cancer in 2012 and Jeremy spent another eight years on Orkney before heading back to England last year, advertising his house for sale just as the pandemic hit.

After Carol's untimely death, he certainly put into practice his decision to live life to the full and spent time travelling to Tibet, Kenya, Iceland and the US among other places. He also completed several long motorcycle tours of Europe and worked as a courier, ferrying organ donations around Scotland during the pandemic.

He will be sadly missed. Written by Malcolm Taylor (CR 1983-89)

Gillian Clube (Wife of Alan Clube CR 63-91)

Brian George Dibble (R 36-45)

Peter Smith (MC 43-47)

Shiraz Dharsi (Cricket Coach 75-76)

John Godfrey Lant (A 45-49)

John Morris (R 55-60) John passed away at the age of 80 having suffered a stroke and didn’t regain consciousness following an induced coma at Preston Royal.

John had been a member of Rose House when it existed at the south of the archway, back in the 1950's. Right up until his unexpected demise John had been an extremely active freemason within The Fylde Coast and also within the Old Rossallian Masonic Lodge, as a past Master and current treasurer.

John was a fine man and Freemason who was an actively working accountant at EVTS, and in all his masonic pursuits. He leaves a wife and son.

Major (Retired) John Hickie MBE (DC 47-53)

Barclay Simpson (SE 67-71)

Barrie T. Wilson (J & F 36-45)

Frank Trevor Brough (SE 47-52) Passed away April 2021 aged 87. Trevor joined his brother Barrie at Rossall in 1947. Barrie had started 2 years previously.

At Rossall he became Head of House, a Company Sergeant Major in the Army Cadet Force and an active performer in School plays and operettas. He continued to blossom academically and in 1952 won not only a place at Emmanuel College, Cambridge to read Medicine but also a County Major Scholarship for Nottinghamshire based on his outstanding exam results. After completing his pre-clinical training at Cambridge he transferred to Guy's Hospital in London in 1955.

There he met his future wife, Elizabeth, who he married in 1959 but during his honeymoon he was summoned to do National Service and not wanting to leave his new wife he cleverly used the let-out clause allowing him to join the Colonial Service where wives were accepted. Thus they headed to Northern Nigeria where he found himself running the District General Hospital aged just 26 with no knowledge at all of tropical medicine!

Six years later he returned to Gloucester, then Birmingham and finally Newcastle where he was Senior Registrar at the RVI and Princess Mary Maternity Hospital.

Whilst at Rossall he used to enjoy reading lessons in Chapel and won the Chapel Reading Prize and through his flat-mate in London joined a Christian Club in Kensington. In Newcastle he and Elizabeth joined Heaton Baptist Church and they soon found they were visiting other churches and taking services for congregations which lacked a minister. He then became a Lay Reader.

His final move was in 1970 to Cumbria to be a Consultant Gynaecologist where he also became a Reader and in his spare time became addicted to fell walking and running. He was still active in his 80's when he cycled with a close friend from Land's End to John O'Groats and he remained fit until his death in April 2021. Written by Barrie Brough (Brother) Rossall School 1945-49.

Roger Rawcliffe (JS & F 42-52)

Keith Clowes (F 48-52)

Peter Esnouf (JS & F 38-48)

Lt. Col. Guy Obbard (MF 42-46)

Simon J Fisher (MF 87-92)

Bert Young (R 43-48)

Arthur Dean (R 61-66)

Robert Benbo (FDL 1948-1952)

2020

Kassam Dharsi (Rossall School Cricket Coach 75-76; Strathallan School 77-83; Highgate Junior School 85-97) Passed away July 2020 aged 73

Christopher Buckmaster (P 52-57) Passed away on 2 November 2020 aged 82. Christopher attended Rossall School in Lancashire and in his final year 1956 his father, who was Vicar of Saint Luke's Church, Southport, sadly died leaving the family homeless. Christopher's uncle was able to offer his mother the top floor of his house and four years later the Dean of Winchester generously gave the family a terraced house in Morley College. Christopher's older brother had also contracted polio which had left him paralysed with no limb movement except for his left hand. Despite his turbulent home life Christopher gained a Walter Lock Scholarship at Keble to read PPE. His interest in politics became evident when he became President of the University Conservative Association. While at Oxford Christopher frequently travelled back and forth to Winchester to help his mother care for his brother.

On graduating he joined Booker McConnell Ltd (1960-72) and then Stevenson and Howell (distillers of essences) (1972-74) until they were taken over by Dalgety plc (1974–90). He was sent to the newly independent Zimbabwe in the 1980s where he was appointed Director. In 1985 he introduced Prince Philip to a number of leading Zimbabwe business people during the Queen's visit. His love and support of this country continued throughout his life. From 1991 to 1998 he was the Chief Executive Officer of the East Africa Association. Christopher was elected Ward Councillor for the Campden Ward in Kensington and Chelsea in 1994 and is remembered for his commitment to healthcare in London where he made a major contribution, organising a pan-London joint approach from the thirty-two London Boroughs on the immediate care of trauma and stroke cases.

As Chairman of the Health Scrutiny Committee he promoted closer cooperation between the NHS, Public Health England and the Royal Borough. He also worked tirelessly to improve local schools. Christopher is the only male Councillor to have served as Mayor for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea twice (2002-03 and 2012-13) and on both occasions he raised record amounts for his chosen charity. He was a trustee of many charities including the North Kensington Canal side Trust, 60 Plus, Equal People, Open Age, Kensington and Chelsea People First, Temple Trust and Brain Tumour Research Campaign. Christopher never married but found lasting happiness with his partner Anne Hobson along with her family and his own much-loved cousins.

Peter Esnouf (JS & F 38-48) Passed away on 22nd December 2020, aged 90. Peter used to attend Old Rossallian gatherings at Radley School. Peter’s father, Cecil Esnouf, was a former master at Rossall during the war and the family lived in Newstead along with some of his wider family, after being evacuated from Jersey before the Occupation. Peter attended both Junior School and Senior School until he left to do National Service in 1948. He subsequently went to Exeter College to read Biochemistry.

Bill Tavener (JS & SE 41-50)

Douglas Mans (R 44-49)

John Boyagis (A 45-46)

John Blower (MC 36-39)

Howard Bentley (SE 53-56)

John Bennett (MC 52-57)

Robin Bellerby (Rossall 70-73)

Bob Lindesay (SE 49-54)

Anthony Blackett (DC 55-60)

2019

Roland Stuart (Rossall 80-92)

Leo Su (Lu 10-13)

Michael Shapeero (SE 52-56)

Donald Schofield (MC 43-46)

Raymond Morris (M 51-54)

Graeme Marrs MBE (J & F 51-57)

Edward Lindesay (SE 37-42)

John Hoffen (SE 48-50)

Sam Eccleston (MC 45-47)

Dan Hardy (SE 65-69)

Mike Hannaby (MF 48-51)

JGS Grant (J & Dr 39-46)

Dan Fish (SE 86 – 91)

Charles Gordon Dean (A 55-57)