No . 135 The Trusty Servant
Obituary
We write obituaries for all Old Wykehamists and it would be invaluable to us if OWs were to send us some notes about their life , covering a little bit more than appears in the Winchester College Register . These should be addressed to : The Obituarist , Winchester College Society , 73 Kingsgate Street , Winchester , SO23 9PE , or wincollsoc @ wincoll . ac . uk
Robin Fitzroy Somerset ( Co Ro , 69-92 ); died 21.10.2022 . Father of CFS . Eton , 1 st XI cricket , 2 nd XI soccer . RMAS 1949-51 ; 2 Lt Rifle Brigade 1951 ; Capt 1953 ; BAOR , Kenya , UK ; Adjt Eton CCF 1959-61 . He obtained a Staff College place in 1961 but retired in 1962 to take up teaching . Balliol College Oxford 1962 , BA Hist 1965 . Assistant Master Marlborough College 1965-8 before moving to Win Coll , teaching History , English and Economics , and OC CCF ; Careers Master 1973- 92 ; CCFA Executive Committee , a forum designed to link the Ministry of Defence and School Cadet Forces , 1974 , vice-chairman 1979-2000 ; MBE 1997 . He had an unfailing sense of humour and an ability to see the absurdity in everyday life . He played a leading role in organising College pantomimes , beginning with Cinderella in 1971 and continuing over several years . He retired from Winchester to Aldeburgh in 2002 , where he continued to pursue his passions for sailing and golf , as well as writing on family and local history and singing with the Aldeburgh Music Club Choir . He married Sarah Mills in 1977 , who survives him together with a daughter and a son .
Paul Vincent Anthony Williams ( CoRo , 77-03 ); died 29.3.2023 . St George ’ s College Weybridge ; Fitzwilliam College Cambridge 1965- 69 Modern Languages . He worked for BOLSA in Brazil 1969-73 before taking a doctorate at St Andrew ’ s University in Voodoo & Black Magic , becoming an intrepid trail blazer , carrying his heavy tape-recording equipment in a backpack all the way back to the Amazon . He moved to Win Coll in 1977 , becoming Head of Spanish and Housemaster ( H ) 1987- 2001 . He took a sabbatical in 1981 and set up “ Interparle ”, an exchange school for English students wanting to learn French , in Gascony . He bought an old farmhouse near the town of Condom ( that name a source of much amusement to him and his friends and pupils ). After retirement , he walked the Chemin De St Jacques Pilgrimage between Winchester and Condom and wrote a book about the experience Vagabondage , followed by The Banker Who Turned to Voodoo and two novels , Blight and Revenge . A widely popular , outgoing , somewhat eccentric academic with a wonderful sense of humour and sharp wit , who loved teaching , entertaining , wine , good food , cooking , travelling , reading and music . He married ( 1 ) Rosalind Taylor ( CoRo , 1982-2001 ) in 1971 , who died in 2017 , and ( 2 ) Susie Bellasis in 2022 , who survives him together with a daughter and 2 sons from the first marriage .
John Gordon Paterson ( K , 38-43 ); died 5.2022 . Co Prae , VI ; RAC 1943 ; 2 Lt 4th QO Hussars 1944 ; CMF 1945-7 . While in the Army he learnt to ride horses , motorcycles , cars and tanks . He narrowly avoided active warfare as he was posted to Montefiore in Italy which by then had joined the allies . Magdalen College Oxford 1948 , Physics and Chemistry . When he returned home , he began a long career selling rod and wire across the south and east of England , driving hundreds of thousands of miles during his career and consequently could always tell you the best way to travel by road . Sadly , dementia and the pandemic made his last 2 years of life a less than easy ride . He married Barbara , who died in 2005 and is survived by their 2 daughters .
Mark Lyttleton Hichens ( H , 39-43 ); died 26.11.2022 . Brother of JH and ALH . RNVR 1943 , Atlantic and Pacific . New College Oxford 1946 , 3 Hist , BA 1948 . Assistant master , Westminster Under School ; various teaching posts , including Head of English , Head of History and Librarian at King ’ s College Wimbledon Junior School ; retired 1987 . He wrote many books , including Great Britain and Europe 1814 – 1914 , The Troubled Century – British and World History 1914- 1993 , West Downs , Portrait of an English Prep School and Prime Ministers ’ Wives – and One Husband . “ He was an elegant gentleman of the old school , a fine tennis player and a much-published historian ”.
Rt Rev Keith Appleby Arnold ( H , 40-44 ); died 17.2.2021 . 2 Lt Coldstream Gds 1945 ; Palestine ; Capt . Trinity College Cambridge 1948 , Agriculture , BA 1950 , MA 1954 . Ordained 1952 . Curate Haltwhistle , Northumberland ; St John ’ s , Edinburgh , 1955 , rector 1962 ; vicar St Mary ’ s Kirkby Lonsdale 1969 ; team rector Hemel Hempstead 1973 . Inaugural Suffragan Bishop of Warwick , Diocese of Coventry , 1980 ; retired 1990 . Honorary Assistant Bishop in Oxford and Newcastle 1991- 2021 . He married Deborah Glenwright in 1955 , who survives him together with a son and a daughter .
Prof Sir James Duncan Dunbar- Nasmith ( E , 40-44 ); died 18.3.2023 . The decision of one of the dons to replace a term ’ s English classes with lessons on the history of the English house was to make a lasting impression on him . 2 Lt Scots Gds 1945-8 . Trinity
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