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Gazette January 2022
In memoriam
Remembering Sam McKay The School is deeply mourning the loss of Samuel (Sam) Nicholas McKay, who sadly passed away on 14 October 2021, aged just 17, after a battle with brain cancer.
Our Registrar, Jo Grinham, Sam’s second cousin, spent precious time with him throughout his life and this year. She emphasises how important Sam’s Christian faith was to him. “His message was, ‘Get to know Jesus, love Sam’. His faith gave him the strength to face his illness and help others. He was very selfless, an incredible young fellow who always asked how everybody else was. It was never about Sam.” Just weeks before he lost the power to speak, Jo asked Sam what his advice would be to his classmates. “He said, ‘Try and see life through the eyes of a child and be kind to one another.’” Very sadly, Sam lost his mother some years ago to cancer. “He became wingman to his Dad, Nick. He was also very protective of his brothers, Benji and Alex,” says Jo Grinham. “We often say we want the boys to find their
signpost at The King’s School, which will direct their hearts to come alive. Sam had two signposts. One was the Drama Centre and the other was the Chapel. He also had a real cheekiness and sense of humour,” she adds. Headmaster Tony George addressed the live-streamed School assembly on the morning Sam died. Expressing his deepest sympathy and condolences, the Headmaster said, “Sam had a hard journey that he tackled with courage, hope and without any sense of bitterness. But he still sought to participate in the musical, passing-out parade, even sitting his trial HSC exams.”
A memorial fund has been set up to honour Sam’s life and memory. Go to https://events. humanitix.com/sam-mckay-memorial for more information. The School is also in the process of establishing a permanent memorial to Sam’s life.
