The Oratorian Online

OBITUARIES

Patrick Charles Fawkes Kelly on 5^th November 1997

Patrick Kelly came to the O.S. from Westminster Cathedral Choir School in 1936 and left in 1938. He was ordained a priest of the Westminster Diocese and served at the church of St Mary, Cadogan Street. In the 1960s he obtained a dispensation to leave the priesthood and became an EO in a DHSS office in Acton, West London. He subsequently married and retired to Norfolk.

Donal Michael O'Neill Flanagan on 8^th April 2001

Don O'Neill Flanagan was the son of an eminent architect of Waterford. He came to the O.S. in 1944 from the Benedictine school at Glenstal in County Limerick, bringing with him his shotgun, which he used at Woodcote to help supplement the wartime meat ration. In 1946 he went up to Christ's College, Cambridge, to read architecture and he completed those studies at the University of Edinburgh. He had a very successful architect's practice in Ireland; he worked on the restoration of some of the great country houses of Ireland. He was engaged to work on private houses, churches, stud farms, and the Waterford Glass factory. He belonged to the Knights of Malta and was much involved in their activities in the Waterford area. He was a lover of country pursuits, being an excellent salmon fisherman, huntsman and shot.

James Henry Lenox Breaks on 2^nd December 2002

James Breaks was at the O.S. from May 1950 to April 1954, joining it from the O.P.S. He played in the 1st XV and in the 1st XI. He was in the Lord's XI that had an emphatic win, by 9 wickets, over Beaumont College in 1953, thereby ending the losing run of the O.S. in the fixture. He made 88 in the match, sharing in a stand of 173 with H.C. Smith.

After leaving he had an engineering apprenticeship with Saunders Roe on the Isle of Wight. He worked at various times for Unilever, Mobil, B.P. and Tar Residual, before setting up his own company, Henry Lenox International, manufacturing plastics components. He died suddenly on 2nd December, 2002, leaving his wife, Mary, and children, Andrew, John and Anne-Marie. His family and friends would like Oratorian contemporaries to know and would be pleased to be contacted on 020 8977 1454.

Henry (Harry) Mosley Dyne on 1^st May 2003

Henry Mosley Dyne (invariably known as Harry) was universally admired and respected by all who knew him. Harry Dyne was born in Singapore, where, together
with his mother, he was held captive by the Japanese following their capture of the island. On his return to England in 1946, he was offered at place at the O.P.S. by
Anthony Patton and transferred to the O.S. at Woodcote in the Summer term of 1947. He was a talented sportsman, gaining his colours for rugby and cricket. He played in the 1st XV and captained it in the 1950-51 season. He was a regular member of the 1st XI and played in the Lord's fixture against Beaumont College, a fact of which he was very proud. He was also Captain of Squash. He was appointed a School Prefect and Vice-Captain of the School.

On leaving the O.S. in 1951 he did his National Service in the Royal Artillery and then took up law studies. His aim was to follow in his father's footsteps and make a career as a solicitor. He qualified and went out to Singapore, joining the firm (Donaldson & Birkenshaw) in which his father had achieved a distinguished reputation. He became a senior partner in the firm. In Singapore he became President of the Golf Club and its Captain of Golf. On retirement he would return to Singapore from time to time to work on special projects for some of his clients. Proof of his standing in the island state of Singapore is that on his death the local paper, The Straits Times, published a tribute to him.

His O.S. contemporary, Charles Castle (O.S. 1947-52), has contributed the following words of tribute:- Harry will be sorely missed by all who knew him. But comfort is to be found in the knowledge that he was a gentle man, a caring loving man, a kind and honourable person, a gentleman who lived a good, energetic and happy life based on high principles. He leaves behind him a legacy of fond memories to remember him by.

Alexander Edward Shaw on 27^th September 2003

Alex Shaw was struck by a vehicle while walking in Leeds; he died subsequently of his injuries in hospital. He came to the O.S. from Moulsford Preparatory School and joined the Junior House in 1994. He moved up to Faber House and left at the end of his Third Form Year, to continue his education elsewhere. Pat Thomas (Housemaster of St Philip House – formerly Junior House) writes:- Alex was a quiet lad, who was well liked by his peers. He was an able boy who was placed near the top of many of his classes. Most of all I will remember a polite and courteous young man, of whom it was a pleasure to have the company in my first year as Housemaster of Junior House.

Piers (Peter) Fiott de Havilland on 17^th November 2003

Peter de Havilland joined the O.S. at Caversham at the same time as his elder brother, Ross (O.S. 1936-39), who died in 2002. They were distant kinsmen of Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, the aviation pioneer. On leaving the O.S. in 1939, the two brothers went to work at the de Havilland factory. At the outbreak of War, Peter enlisted as a signaller; he volunteered for special services and saw action in North Africa and Italy. Towards the end of his life he was suffering from ill health and entered the Royal Star and Garter Home in Richmond. However he was not a person to suffer institutions gladly, so he discharged himself from his ‘incarceration', as he put it, and it was in his flat in Chelsea that he died peacefully in the company of one of his best friends. He is survived by his nephews, James (O.S. 1971-76) and Piers, and niece, Lola.

Leonard Ernest Mayo Evans on 21^st November 2003

Leonard Evans taught Mathematics and Chemistry at the O.S. at Caversham Park from 1937 to 1940: "I went without interview because I could speak French and reasonable German." (He took over the Chemistry from Tom Peacock, when the latter moved on to St John's School, Leatherhead.). The son of an Anglican clergyman, he was the great nephew of the noted archaeologist, Sir Arthur Evans. He was educated at St Edmund's School, Canterbury, and Selwyn College, Cambridge, where he was a successful oarsman. He read for the Natural Sciences tripos at Cambridge. He was taken ill with tuberculosis at the end of his time at the O.S. This precluded him from serving in World War II. His next teaching post was at Merchiston Castle School, which he did not like; thereafter he took up a teaching post at Farnham Grammar School, where he regretted its transition to a Sixth Form College. He looked back to his days at Caversham as some of the happiest of his teaching career ("I haven't been in a happier school", he once reminisced.). His memories of his former pupils there remained sharp and fresh in his mind. In later life he lost his sight and lived in sheltered accommodation in Farnham town, coping positively with his disability. He was one of the last surviving links with the teaching staffs at Caversham. He was twice married.

Harry Ferrar (Ferraboschi) (Member of Staff 1938-40) has contributed these words of tribute to his former colleague:-
In the gentlemanly amateur environment of the last years of the O.S. at Caversham Park, Len Evans was‘the Science Master'. This meant Physics and Chemistry. In the tolerant atmosphere, he (Communist and atheist) and myself (disaffected Anglican) were both classified as ‘heretics'. Not an easy personality, but everyone liked him, including the boys, and Father Henry Tristram (Head Master 1930-31; Chaplain 1934-37; Warden 1937-41), with whom he disputed nightly at supper. Considering the very limited facilities and timetabling problem, he made a reasonable show of keeping the Department going, and often displayed resourcefulness and (uncharacteristic) cool. In the tiny staff of those days, we all had space to be "characters" – Len as much as any.

Anthony Sydney Edward Lee on 17^th December 2003

Tony Lee was the grandson of Sydney Lee, founder of the Catholic Records Press in Exeter in the 1920s. Tony Lee began working in the business, which has served the various printing needs of the O.S. over the years. After a troubled episode in the early 1990s, he started a new printing business, which delivered the O.S. Magazine and termly Calendar to a high standard up to the day of his death.

Walter George Glynn Petre on 19^th January 2004

Walter Petre came to the O.S. in Edgbaston in 1918, together with his younger brother Henry, who died in 1994. He was the son of Rear-Admiral Walter Reginald Glynn Petre and he left the O.S. in 1919. With his passing, we have lost the oldest surviving Old Oratorian from the School's days in Birmingham. He served in the R.A.F. as a Squadron Leader and was with B.O.A.C. He lived in retirement on Sark in the Channel Isles.

Brendan John Patrick Andrews early February 2004

Brendan Andrews came to the O.S. in September 1956. He was a talented sportsman representing the school at rugby and cricket. He played in the first XI that beat Beaumont at Lord's in 1961; he captained that side which won by 93 runs.

Peter Taylor on 18^th February 2004

Peter Taylor joined the O.S. staff in 1974 to teach Classics and English and left for St Peter's School, York, in 1979. He was appointed a House-Tutor in FitzAlan in 1975. He contributed fully to the life of the School outside the classroom, coaching rugby and tennis. A native of Liverpool, he was educated at the Liverpool Blue Coat School and went up to the City's University to read Medicine, but he soon changed to the Classics, in which he had a distinguished academic career, gaining a First Class degree in his finals and being awarded several university prizes.

Moira O'Malley on 10^th March 2004

Those Oratorians who were under the care of Pat O'Malley, will be sad to learn of the death of his widow, Moira, who supported him devotedly in all his pastoral posts at the O.S.

Fuller tributes to some of the above deceased Old Oratorians are published in the O.S. Magazine. Copies may be obtained, free of charge, from Margaret Stubbington, Old Oratorian Records Secretary, at the O.S.

The beautiful hardback, containing a large selection of obituary notices for Old Oratorians, written for the OS Magazine between 1962 and 1992, is available, priced £16 from the School. Cheques should be sent to the School, marked - FOR THE ATTENTION OF TONY TINKEL