Tributes and Obituaries

"Well, Doc, give it to me straight. How long have I got?"

Very few people, imperilled by cancer, would have the wit or dignity to address such a question to their oncologist, but Richard Abrams (B77) – the child drawing an imaginary land ruled by steam trains, the teenager blithely cultivating marihuana plants in his parents’ suburban shrubbery, the adult wryly labelling himself “Ugly IT Developer” on LinkedIn – was never hampered by convention.

“Abe” studied philosophy and psychology at Stirling University, and later embarked on a tech career, specialising in supply chain systems, which led to lengthy postings in Belgium, Hungary and Russia, where he embraced each different culture with his customary blend of alacrity and amusement. A dedicated motorist, he regularly crisscrossed Germany in his Porsche (“the rule is that I have to boldly go where no Englishman has gone before”) delighting in all he surveyed and catching up with chums en route. Abe was a constant and affectionate friend, keeping in touch with a select bunch of OCs and travelling as far afield as Japan (where he was researching a novel) with them. He never married, but enjoyed several long-term relationships with women, who while his intellectual equal also shared his appetite for the vagaries of life.

The oncologist gave Abe “about 18 months”, which was out by one-third. Composed and humorous to the very last, Abe died in Southampton General Hospital on 16 January.

David was born in Croydon, London on 5 July 1936 to Gladys and Geoffrey MBE. He completed his secondary education at Canford School in 1954.

For the remainder of the 1950s he studied accountancy at Westminster College in London while working with Esso Petroleum. In the early sixties he travelled and worked all over Australia with two English friends. At one stage they worked as 'roughnecks' on an oil rig at Mt Isa. Besides the working holiday with mates, his mission was to look at possibilities in Australia and using his London training he worked for two years as Company Accountant for Tarax & Sharpe Bros, well known soft drink manufacturing company, before trying his hand as a jackaroo in NSW and in New Zealand.

In 1968 he purchased an underdeveloped farm at Dungowan, near Tamworth which over the years he developed into one of the most successful and profitable Lucerne business' in the Tamworth district. He was Secretary/Treasurer of the Woolomin Road Bushfire Brigade from 1970-1990 and Secretary/Treasurer of the Peel Valley Water Users Association for ten years from its inauguration in 1980.

He married his first wife, Suzanne, in 1968. Kate was born in 1971 and Sarah 1972 but unfortunately the marriage failed a few years later. He then married Janet Gordon in 1988 and subsequently purchased their home in Orange, where they lived for 34 years right up until his death. David / Dad will be sorely missed by his 3 girls, Kate, Sarah & wife Janet.

Simon died on 27 July, 2022, aged 69. His father, Alan, taught chemistry at Canford for many years, and Simon was brought up in school houses within Canford's grounds. He was happy and successful at Canford where he became Head of House and played for the 1^st Fifteen.

After a degree in chemical engineering at Bath University, Simon trained as a teacher. He taught mathematics at Bournemouth schools for a number of years, becoming Head of Department, before deciding to move into a career in business, joining BT. The rest of his career was spent with BT, where he held a series of managerial positions.

Simon was intensely practical, maintaining a series of motorbikes and cars in his teens and twenties and later carrying out almost all routine house improvement and maintenance. He had a gift for friendships, staying in touch with Canford contemporaries throughout his life, as well as making many new enduring friendships in later years.

Simon died only a few days after a diagnosis for pancreatic cancer. He leaves his wife Yvonne, to whom he was very happily married for many years, and a daughter, Emilie.

Rev Timothy Denys Buckley died on 13th January 2022 aged 64 years.

He talked of his time at Canford as mainly happy times. Whilst he was very proud of operating the printing press, he was not impressed with the cold outdoor swimming pool!

After gaining his degree at Durham , Timothy trained for the ministry and was a clergyman for 30 years in various places. He retired on health grounds in 2013 and moved to the south coast.  He leaves his wife Karen, four sons and two grandchildren.

John Nicholas Whittaker Musson was born in Ripon on the 2^nd of October 1927, the second of two brothers. His father was a doctor. He was educated at Clifton College, during the war, and then served in Austria for the Lancashire Fusiliers (1945-1948). Following his History MA at Brasenose (1948-1951), John joined the Colonial Service in Northern Nigeria as District Officer and Lecturer at the Institute of Administration. In 1961 John embarked on a teaching career at Canford, where he served as Assistant Master and House Master of Franklin House. They were happy and successful years at Canford, with many friendships made and three further children. From 1972 (until 1987) John was Warden of Glenalmond College, and he  successfully steered Glenalmond through difficult economic times and is remembered as a strong, effective and practical leader.

Later in life John was a governor of both Clifton College and George Watson’s College. He was also deeply committed to the work of Mercy Corps/Scottish European Aid, as Director and Trustee from 1996 to 2000, in the field as Country Director of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1998/1999 and as Vice-Chairman of Mercy Corps Europe from 2000 to 2007.

John passed away quietly in Edinburgh on the 2^nd of July 2021. He will be remembered as a man of decency, who treated people from all walks of life with respect and did not suffer fools gladly. John’s infectious sense of humour will also be much missed. His wife, Ann, passed away in 2004, but he is fondly remembered by his four children (Caroline, Clare, Katie and Richard) and many of his former colleagues and pupils.

JIM APPLEYARD (W54) whose surname when he attended Canford was MARSHALL was a founder member of the Science Society where, as embryonic  environmentalists, he and fellow Canfordians visited amongst other things, a cardboard recycling plant and, on a very popular outing to a brewery, were informed about the various by products generated in the beer making process.

Jim then went on to Exeter College Oxford and made his career in medicine specialising in paediatrics. 

Soon after qualifying, he went through a militant phase and was a founder member and later chairman of the Junior Hospital Doctors Association whose aims on working hours, pay and conditions were substantially achieved in later years. 

As a  consultant  at the Kent and  Canterbury Hospital from 1971, he continued his activism by founding the Mary Sheridan Centre for children with disabilities (the 1st such  centre in UK outside London) as well as a Special Care Baby Unit whose care and professionalism is still highly rated throughout the South East. 

Despite a busy  professional life, Jim found time to marry Elizabeth, have 3 children and several grandchildren.

Jim's further achievements include his appointment as Vice President of the BMA, President of the World Medical Association and, in 2021, recipient of the Paul Tournier International Prize for his contributions to Person Centred  ("Holistic") Medicine having regard in particular to his work on such issues  as ethics in the field of medical research, and the rehabilitation of torture victims . 

However, by his own admission, his invitation to be guest speaker at the Canford speech day in 2007, was perhaps his greatest distinction!

Sandy followed his brother Jock into Franklin House. he soon settled in and established himself as a fine piper and keen fisherman. Who could forget Mist covered mountains, echoing from by the weir pool?

Sandy's time at Canford was short, aged 16 he went for a careers interview saying he wished to be a doctor." Medicine Jenkins, I don't think so!" He left, went to a crammer and to quote one of his colleagues, "We have lost a giant of vascular surgery." He published ground-breaking research papers and lectured in the United States.

From an early age Sandy was a great fisherman, pre-empting modern fishers he spent a summer in Iceland in the fifties and fished widely in Scotland, Alaska, Canada, Newfoundland, Russia, Africa and Norway. Returning from one trip, he flew in his waders, as his baggage was overweight.

Born on 8^th April 1932, David spent his childhood in Devon. He attended Canford school when his family relocated to Bournemouth in the late 1940’s.

Following his school days, David returned to Devon to help run his father’s accountancy practices in Honiton and Exeter. Always loving the countryside, David built a house in 1974 in a small hamlet called Wiggaton near Ottery St Mary and moved his wife Jean and children Christine and Isobel there from their previous home in Exeter -  he remained here for the rest of his life.

When not attending to his professional life, David developed a wide range of interests including keeping horses, sheep, geese and chickens.

He also excelled at cabinet making and wood-carving and his house was filled with items he had created. On his death, all of these items have found new homes across his family.

David was extremely gregarious and, having built an extension to his house, he installed a full-sized snooker table and entertained his friends there for often 5 nights a week until recently.

David died after a short illness on 25^th March 2021 leaving his two daughters, five grandchildren and six great grand-children.