John Chapling 1937-2018 Bjorn Hoffmann 1975-2018
John Harvey Chapling’s father was an officer in the RAF, and before
he won a scholarship to Sevenoaks School, John changed schools
many times in Britain and Germany. His family roots were in Kent
where they were farmers for many generations. Bjorn joined the Lower School in 1986 and was a popular member
of YoungSox, where he was known as Bugsy, and particularly
enjoyed the boat trips on the Norfolk Broads. A keen sportsman,
he led his house to victory in the junior swimming gala and went
on to play cricket and rugby for the school, as well as developing
a love for golf.
Sevenoaks School gave John stability and a thirst for knowledge.
He left school the year James Higgs-Walker retired, and worked for
the Prudential in London before his national service in air traffic
control in Germany.
John met his wife Angela, a former pupil of Walthamstow Hall, at St
Nicholas’ Church Youth Fellowship in Sevenoaks. They were married
at St Nicholas’ Church in 1965, and had four daughters.
Following the removal of a malignant brain tumour and
radiotherapy in 1966, John was told that working in an office could
not be a long-term career. He was a talented classical guitarist,
and also played the flute, and he decided to study part-time at the
Guildhall School of Music. He became a peripatetic music teacher,
mainly teaching in independent schools in Kent, and later in
Berkshire and Oxfordshire.
Throughout his life, even into his eighties, John loved to study. He
continued with Classical Greek and Latin, learnt Hebrew, and spoke
German and French. His second great interest after music was
maths, and he enjoyed solving mathematical problems and puzzles.
He had a wide range of interests, and his Christian faith was the
foundation of his life.
In 2015 they moved from Oxfordshire to Lytham St Anne’s in
Lancashire, and a year later he was diagnosed with cancer. There
was no treatment apart from palliative care, and John endured
his last illness with calm dignity and faith, showing kindness and
good humour to all who cared for him. He was an inspiration to his
family and visitors until he died peacefully at home, with Angela at
his bedside, on 29 September 2018.
Angela Chapling
Nicholas Dennis 1946-2018
Nicholas Dennis (IC 62) and his wife Jean Dennis (neé Horn,
Walthamstow Hall 1953-66) sadly passed away following a car
accident in September 2018. They are survived by their children
Chris and Anna, and granddaughters Izzy and Elodie. They will be
greatly missed.
On leaving Sevenoaks in 1993 he studied Architecture at Sheffield
University but on graduating decided he wanted to teach Design
and Technology, eventually joining the staff at Clifton College,
Bristol, where he also became Head of Golf and Swimming. After
marriage to Cathryn and becoming the proud father of two sons he
still found time for competitive swimming, captaining the local club
and winning medals at the British and European Masters.
When diagnosed with terminal cancer he was touched to receive
many messages from Old Sennockians with donations to the
hospice fundraising efforts of his young sons, Harry and Charlie, and
would have been amazed to learn how much more money those
same friends would later raise at their 25th reunion.
Kindness, Positivity and Inner Strength, the book he wrote for his
sons, summed up his approach to life and his tragically early death.
He embodied all of those wonderful and life-enhancing qualities.
Gillian Theaker (mother)
Tony Theaker
(stepfather, former Head of Junior School and Senior Master)
Alan Pemberton 1923-2018
Alan Shuter Pemberton was born on September 4, 1923 in
Liverpool, the first child and only son of Arthur and Dorothy
Pemberton. Arthur owned a business making prams and pushchairs,
while Dorothy was a talented artist and musician. When the
General Strike of 1926 caused the pram factory to close, the family
moved to Wateringbury in Kent.
Alan attended Sevenoaks School as a day boy from 1938 to 1940,
and it was here that he started playing the recorder. Music was to
become such an important part of his life. But with war looming,
the family left Kent that summer and moved to Devon, where Alan
attended Exmouth Grammar School.
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