Obituaries

Grant Sutcliffe

LGS STAFF 2001 - 2019

Grant joined the School from Lincoln Minster School as a Business Studies teacher and also Director of Hockey in 2001. That seems a rather bland statement and hides the true story of this remarkable man.

His previous life was in Zimbabwe where, after doing National Service, he was a farm supervisor for a wealthy Arab family. When the troubles began there, the Sutcliffe’s emigrated to England with just £200 in their pockets leaving all their possessions behind. Grant found work for a local landscaping company but working with young people was his true calling and so he trained as a teacher.

He was an inspiration in the classroom, but it was on the hockey field that he was to make his mark and firmly cement himself in the School’s sporting history. He re-invented the game, all the more remarkable because he didn’t have a pitch at School available to him. That was not a problem, just a challenge, to a man with his background. Hours booking and then spending time on buses to the University and St Margaret’s in Leicester were to dominate all the time he was at the School.

His objective was to move Hockey from being a minor winter sport to stand shoulder to shoulder with rugby. Not only did he achieve that, but he managed to transform it into the major winter sport with tremendous success at senior level as the fruition of the hours spent with the junior teams paid off. However, in addition to not having a pitch available to him, he didn’t have any staff to help him either until Jez Clarke arrived. Again, he overcame this by creating a club at the School – Loughborough Sharks, named after his favourite rugby team the Natal Sharks – which could use the High School’s astro when they didn’t need it.

In the end, in addition to ten School teams, the Sharks had three men’s teams and two mixed teams playing in the national and local leagues, enabling boys from the youngest age to play with and against adult players. The sight of a team of 14 year olds playing a team of 50 year olds is a lasting memory! Through this pathway he created fine players – none more so than the Great Britain international David Condon – who still play regularly and have leadership roles in hockey clubs all around the country and abroad. For anyone involved in School Sport that has to be your aim.

Tragically he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour a few months before his planned retirement in 2019 but was able to attend the opening of the new Astroturf pitch appropriately named after him in April 2019. In the following months he showed great peace and fortitude in battling his illness until he died on 13 December 2020.

Betty Cooper

LGS STAFF 1971-1992

Betty Cooper retired in 1992 after 21 years as Assistant Secretary. She was one of the few non-teaching staff well known to the boys: her front-line position in the General Office made her not only the first contact with school visitors to Buckland, but also the source of lunch passes for boys who had forgotten their lunch cards. However, the acquisition of these vital passports by hungry but forgetful boys was a procedure somewhat akin to Daniel venturing into the lion’s den! Her other main task was typing the long U.C.C.A/P.C.A.S. references and over the years she must have produced thousands of these vital reports, helping to launch a generation of boys into their post LGS futures in Higher Education.

On her last day, she was chauffeur driven home with her husband in a vintage Rolls-Royce, driving in state through the Walks which were lined by hundreds of boys waving farewell with fluttering lunch passes! She died on 14 February 2021.

Peter Linton

CLASS OF 2001

Peter left the School with 9 GCSEs in 1999, however, it was to be the Bridge he learnt in the 10+ exam seven years earlier that was to lead in 2005 to him pursuing his career as a professional poker player. It turned out to be the right decision as he went on to win more than $1,142,871 in 28 poker live tournaments alone. In all-time money ranking he was ranked 114 in England and 1837 in the world. His biggest success was winning $487,006 in one tournament.

Within the poker fraternity, he was a pretty controversial figure with a massively aggressive playing style and he generally thought all other players were idiots compared to him. A fellow player said: ‘You didn’t ever want him at your table, he used to be relentless.’ He was a unique character and a huge loss to the game when he died of a heart attack in April 2021 whilst playing in Mexico.

Roger Hill

Roger B. Hill (R) and H. Owen Vann (L) in 2019

CLASS OF 1949

Trevor Brough

CLASS OF 1951

Trevor joined his brother, Barrie, from Miss Horner’s West End House School in Beeston as a 9 year old in September 1942. Both brothers boarded in School House with Mr Pullinger and had many, mostly happy, memories of the war years at the School. Trevor was brighter than his brother, who unfortunately had troublesome sinus problems which led to him leaving in 1945 to go to Rossall School on the Fylde coast where the sea air was beneficial to him. Trevor followed two years later after five very successful years, ending up in the top five in his form.

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. 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 moved to 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 the lessons in Chapel and won the Chapel Reading Prize; through his flatmate in London, he 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.

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 80s 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. Roger Bryan Hill (1930-2021) has died at the age of 90 after a very well-lived and successful life. Roger was School Captain in 1948/9, as well as being Cricket Captain for two years, Football Captain and Head of East House. Roger had been the oldest living School Captain and it was a shame that COVID-19 restrictions meant that he was unable to attend their reunion event that had been planned in 2020.

Roger had a great passion for cricket, playing regularly for LGS 1st XI. Recently, he could still remember his disappointment of cycling many miles to play a cricket match in summer 1945, only to find it had been cancelled – something to do with winning a war, which apparently wasn’t as important as cricket to a 14 year old. Roger excelled in science as well as in sport, running the LGS Science Society and so, after LGS, it was no surprise that Roger pursued a career in science, studying for a BSc, MSc and PhD in Metallurgy at the University of Manchester. Roger then worked in London for the Central Electricity Generating Board, advising on the design of nuclear power stations, until his retirement in 1988 when the CEGB was privatised.

Roger was born in Birstall, Leicester in 1930 and was an avid Leicester City supporter, delighted to go to the old Wembley Stadium to watch them win the 2000 League Cup final. Roger played cricket most of his life after LGS, for the University of Manchester and then Bexley Cricket Club, where he also coached young cricketers, and was a scorer and umpire. He also researched the history of Bexley Cricket Club, producing two books on its history and its Presidents (of which Roger was one in 1985).

Roger cared about the natural world, concerned about the importance of retaining London’s green belt and ensuring the local council supported biodiversity. He enjoyed watching birds and in later life raised funds for the charity ‘Butterfly Conservation’; he was proud to help support them to buy a nature reserve to conserve insects.

Whilst at LGS Roger became firm friends with Owen Vann (Class of 1950), who shared his love of cricket, competing against him in ‘science’ versus ‘arts’ LGS cricket matches, and being a student and playing cricket with him at the University of Manchester. Roger met up regularly with Owen (always called ‘Oscar’ by Roger) throughout his life, sharing great stories of cricketing and school days amidst roars of laughter. A friendship started at LGS when they were 11 was still going strong nearly 80 years later!

Roger is survived by his wife Margaret, who he married in 1956, two children Richard and Jane, and five grandchildren; sadly his elder daughter Jennifer and grandson Matthew predeceased him.

COLIN SHAW

CLASS OF 1948

Two weeks after Roger’s death, another member of that 1948 Cricket Team died. He was only at the School for one year, transferring from King Edward Grammar School, Coalville, when his father became Police Inspector in Loughborough. As you might expect from his height, he was to be a quick bowler and was awarded his colours after heading the bowling averages with 36 wickets at an average of 6.22. In the Loughburian, Roger Hill wrote this about Colin:

C.E.Shaw – This medium fast bowler has made remarkable progress during the season. He swings the ball late either way, and at the end of the season was maintaining good length and direction. Unfortunately, he is a bad fielder and a worse batsman.’!!!

In fact, Colin played his first cricket match aged nine and his last on his 70th birthday in 2000, so he played in eight separate decades and played in the Nottinghamshire 2nd XI for ten seasons.

After school, he did his National Service in the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm, serving on aircraft carriers out of Malta, and played cricket against Prince Philip. He then trained as a teacher at Loughborough College and started at Bramcote Hall Prep School in 1952, teaching PE and geography. The whole school moved from Bramcote in 1965 to Gamston in North Notts and Colin continued there for 41 years until his retirement in 1993.

Many pupils remember him for his commitment to principles, sportsmanship, tradition and fairness. As well as his formal teaching, he led school trips on motor cruisers to the Norfolk Broads, taught pupils to fish and appreciate the natural world and had a skill for recognising and nurturing specific talents in those who were not academic or sporty. He coached juniors at Trent Bridge for many years.

Colin, with his wife Rita, enjoyed a long, active and happy retirement from their home in Milton. They travelled extensively including a three month round the world trip, trips to Malta and visits to their daughter in South Africa and Australia, often coinciding with cricket or rugby tours!

He continued his commitment to cricket, living overlooking Milton Cricket Club ground, and fulfilled every possible role as player, umpire, coach, President and groundsman. He watched a match at the ground just two days before he died and especially enjoyed the first proper cricket tea allowed after COVID rules relaxed.

Colin married Rita (née Pears) in 1954. They were married for 63 years - Rita predeceased him in 2018. They have three daughters (Sally, Claire and Joanna), seven grandchildren (two of whom play high level cricket) and one greatgrandchild to be. Owen Vann was their best man and is Sally’s godfather.

Colin lived independently, drove locally and walked daily until his death, aged 90, peacefully at home in his sleep.

Roger B. Hill (front, second from left in blazer), H. Owen Vann (front, second from right in pads) and Colin Shaw (back, third from right) in 1948

Edward Jones

CLASS OF 1992

Edward joined my form, 3W, from Stoneygate School at 13+ in 1987. Teaching him, it was soon clear that he was a fine Mathematician and was always in a battle to see if he could be top of the form. However, as he progressed through GCSEs it was apparent that he was stronger and showed more interest in Modern Languages and took Geography along with French and German at A level. He achieved straight As at A level and won a place at Selwyn College, Cambridge to read French.

Doreen JOAN Davis

(née Hancock)

CLASS OF 1953

“Her smile could light up a room. Her sense of grace and loveliness touched many and will never be forgotten. She benefitted many in innumerable and sometimes unrecognisable ways”. (Friends remembering Joan)

Born 9 November 1936, daughter of Tom Hancock, Registrar and Kay whose grandfather had been Town Clerk.

Joining in 1946 were Doreen MacLean (née Frost), a friend from Junior school and Margaret Marr (née Morris); Margaret recently wrote: “On my first day, I was a lonely frightened little girl and had recently lost my father, but Joan came up and said “I think I know you” - those words saved me.” The friendship lasted a lifetime. All three married engineering graduates from the college, Joan and David on 10 July 1959. They had two children, Mark and Jill.

Joan and Doreen kept in touch as their husband’s careers developed in diff erent industries but close locations. Margaret moved to America but found ways to meet up with Joan around the world. In 2013 they acknowledged the 60th year of leaving with a visit. Amazed at the changes but pleased to see stability and traditions upheld, they were proud to be alumni.

School stories oft related to the family; Joan was particularly proud of her Domestic Science Prize– Mrs Beeton’s Cookery Book used through her life. Joan and David lived mainly in the Cotswolds but moved to Florida in 1997 where they spent 19 years, returning to the UK and settling in Perthshire.

Joan was diagnosed with cancer in 2016, fought it bravely and passed away on 21 October 2021. Survived by her husband, David, two children and three sisters.

Mary Kirk

LGS STAFF 1973 – 1996

Mary Kirk joined the staff in September 1973, having taught locally for some years. “We need somebody good to look aft er the CSE set, Mary; you’ll cope,” is how Colin Tivey greeted her! So Mary immediately set to work on her middle school teaching, which she did so well and which was to be her main ‘stamping ground’. She took all the changes in syllabus in her stride and produced excellent results from her warm rapport with all her pupils. ‘Madame Kirk’, like most experienced colleagues, became an institution. Not only did she add a much-needed charm and elegance to the Modern Languages Department, but she also brought her guile, wit and ‘feel’ for what was right for teenage boys.

Outside the classroom, Mary’s other tour de force was her acting. The Hodson Hall stage was graced by her inimitable presence on many memorable occasions. Starting with Joseph, she then featured in all the Junior Musicals and staff pantomimes. She also accompanied trips abroad, most notably to Paris and Brittany, where her artistic recreation of Versailles Palace on the beach at Dinard – a vision in sand, shells and flowers – will always be remembered.

She enjoyed retirement with her husband, Stuart, until his death and then with her son Charles (Class of 1985) who moved north to look after her until her death on 7 January 2021.

Joe O’Brien

CLASS OF 2013

I have always tended to remember the first time I ever met a boy and with Joe this was definitely the case – it was with a fractured wrist within two weeks of entering the School from Swithland Church of England Junior School on a Scholarship (he was 6th in the entrance exam) in 2006.

He soon set about his work in a quiet, eff icient manner and continued to show he was a fine academic. Aft er all As and A*s at GCSEs he embarked upon an interesting combination of A levels in Maths (always his favourite - he scored 96% in the entrance exam), Spanish and Politics.

Outside the classroom, with his wrist restored, it was hockey that drew his time and attention and that enabled him to continue his close friendship with Nick Ouseley who he had sat next to on their first day in School (both Os in the register!). He played for all the age group sides and his happiest memories were associated with the tour of the U16 XI to South Africa at Easter in 2011. He then went on to play regularly for the 2nd XI and he described hockey as his passion.

On leaving School, he went to the University of York to read Computer Science and at James College, in his first term, met Laurel who he married in August 2020. However, also in the August, he was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma and the speed with which this rare and aggressive disease progressed for Joe was devastating. He died on 27 November 2020, aged 25.

Megan Starkings

LHS STAFF 1992-2013

“When Mum was diagnosed with incurable cancer she said that she’d had a great life, regretted nothing and was only disappointed that she could not keep on supporting her family and friends for a little longer.

She took it all calmly. Her life mantra was ‘never make a drama out of a crisis and above all, stay cheerful and optimistic.’ She never gave up and always kept things in perspective” Jonathan Starkings as part of Megan’s Eulogy

Megan Starkings taught at many local Schools before joining Loughborough High School where she worked for more than 20 years prior to her retirement in 2013. She taught physics and looked after the younger pupils in various pastoral positions as part of the SLT. She organised a huge number of extracurricular activities, an annual Year 11 walk, physics trips to CERN, bridge, chess and even Go clubs. She was part of the famous trip to Iceland which clashed with a volcano erupting and featured on the national news. Her famous hospitality ever-present, she was even involved in giving a couple of Grammar School Boarders a home for seven years. She is fondly remembered by former pupils who recall her excellent teaching, wicked sense of humour, compassion and, above all, immense patience.

Family was always the most important thing to Megan, having been married to Mel for 50 years, raising their three children, Jonathan, Lora and Peter. She was always available and would make time for any member of the family. She was a safe port of call and was there for all her children in a crisis. She adored her grandchildren and supported Lora through her journey as a foster parent, caring for each child as her own.

Megan had many talents, playing bridge at the highest level as well as travelling all over Europe with the England Junior teams. She was an active member of Charnwood Tennis Club and in retirement seemed to be playing there more often than not. She enjoyed walking, aiming to walk 300 miles per month. This proved too easy and her target was soon revised upwards to 500 miles. An accomplished needlewoman, Megan always looked bright and stylish in her own creations and had a perfect model in Mel, with whom she worked to design and create his infamous attire. He showcases their collective endeavours with great pride and aplomb. Many in her family have items she has either designed, created or altered, and her grandaughter’s dollies all fight to wear the coveted Spiderman dress created by Gran!

Throughout the 70s she watched Nottinghamshire Cricket Club and enjoyed many other live sport events. She loved rugby and was a season ticket holder at Leicester Tigers for the last 20 years. She was a passionate fan who would often apologise to others sitting near her for the volume of her support, because she felt if they lost, it was partly because she hadn’t encouraged them enough.

She loved the theatre, and it was fitting that the last production she ever saw was the Foundation’s excellent production of Les Misérables - a show she loved and had seen probably ten times.

Megan was a wonderful, strong woman, who knew her own mind. Above all, she loved her extended family. Any visitor to the house was shown her extensive collection of photos which occupied every available surface; she told the sort of anecdotes only the very proudest of Grans could get away with.

Sarah Marion Smith

LHS MUSIC STAFF 1968-1998 BY HER DAUGHTER, ELIZABETH FRANCIS (CLASS OF 1977)

My mother, Marion, was born in Mountain Ash in South Wales in 1931. She was a clever girl at school, but it was in music that she particularly excelled, especially singing. She had a beautiful mezzo-soprano voice and in 1946 won the Welsh National Eisteddfod for girl’s solo singing in the under 16 age group. Three years later she won a scholarship to study singing and piano at the Royal Academy of Music in London, gaining an LRAM and a GRSM. During her time at the Royal Academy, she sang in a number of choirs, including the Sir Thomas Beecham Choir, the Royal Philharmonic Choir and the London Mozart Singers and won several prizes. After graduation in 1953, she took up a number of teaching posts in Surrey and Kent. She married in 1957 and moved to Cornwall with her husband, Brian, a Methodist minister. It was in Cornwall that her family was born. In 1964 the family moved to Leicestershire and Marion threw herself into the busy life of a minister’s wife and mother to two small children.

Following the sudden death of my father in December 1967, she returned to teaching and took up a post as a teacher of piano and singing at LHS in 1968 where she remained for 30 years. She was both an inspirational and conscientious teacher taking a deep interest in her pupils and their future careers. She also took part in the early joint musical productions with the Grammar School and maintained a lifelong love of music. Both before and after retirement my mother continued to be deeply involved with her local Methodist Church and the Sunday School. She took great pleasure and interest in her family and friends and was so proud to become a great-grandmother for the first-time last year. She sadly passed away in September 2020 following a period of ill health and is greatly missed.