Tributes and Obituaries

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!

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.