Great Scot April 2019 Great Scot_156_April_2019_Online | Page 100

Obituaries
VALE — DR ROGER MICHAEL SLADE
(Staff 1976-2007)
Scotch Archivist, Paul Mishura, wrote:
Dr Roger Michael Slade was born at
Cobham, England, on 22 July 1945. He
studied Science at Leeds University, leaving
with first class honours, and a PhD, and
married Maureen Valerie Lansbury at at St
Botolph’s Church, Helpston, England, on
26 August 1967. After meeting a Monash
University chemistry professor in England,
Roger came to Australia in 1972 as a
research supervisor. Roger and Maureen had
expected to stay only a few years in Australia,
but the births of children Cathy (1974),
Andrew (SC 1990-95) and Melanie (1983)
changed their minds.
Roger completed a DipEd and began at
Scotch as a Chemistry and General Science
teacher in 1976. He became an inspirational
teacher who strove to find better ways of
helping students to understand Chemistry,
including writing several very successful Year
11 and 12 textbooks.
A passionate runner, Roger coached nine
cross country premiership teams. He ran with
the boys at training, with many struggling
to get near him. In his 20 years of coaching
athletics, Roger naturally specialised in
middle distance. He coached 12 orienteering
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Great Scot Number 156 – April 2019
teams from 1990, with a Mars Bar on offer
to any boy who could beat him. In eight of
the ten 24 Hour Hikes he completed, Roger
exceeded 100 kilometres.
Appointed Housemaster of Orton in 1979,
and Head of Year 11 in 1985, Roger was
made Dean of Studies in 1991. This flexible
role included the significant challenge of
preparing timetables, and teaching Science,
IT, and Geography. Although he retired in
2007, Roger returned to Scotch to teach in
Term 1, 2010, replacing Neale Peters who
was on long service leave.
Roger continued his passion for running,
eventually competing in 1243 Park and Street
Orienteering events. For exceeding 1000
events he was awarded Legend Member
status. The Dr Roger M Slade Prize for Cross
Country is awarded annually to the Captain of
Cross Country at Scotch.
Roger and Maureen enjoyed the theatre,
opera, travel, and their five grandchildren.
Surrounded by his family, Roger died of
ampullary carcinoma at Jessie McPherson
Private Hospital, Clayton, on 15 February
2019. Orienteering Victoria renamed its
inter-school Park and Street Orienteering
trophy the Roger Slade Cup.