Obituaries
the ‘can-do’ attitude, where people were enthusiastic and found ways to overcome difficulties. John wrote that in his own imagination at least, he remained aged 30 for most of the rest of his life. He also learned to fly, to sail and also played amateur chamber music. He avoided marriage, stopped smoking, and survived cancer and heart failure. He eventually died from kidney failure at the Arthur Rank hospice in Cambridge with his family at his bedside. John was a member of the Canon Carver Society, and had the foresight to write his own obituary, supplemented by his cousin, Mark Chapman.
and fitness challenges. Swimming was a large part of his adult life, and he maintained a regular habit of swimming at his local pool, always trying to encourage others to do a few more lengths. His love of tennis also endured, and it was through the Dulwich Lawn Tennis Club that he met his future wife, Margaret. In the early 1990s, he proved that he could still play a good game by winning the Kidsons Impey tennis cup at his first attempt, despite being nearly 50 years of age. He was a passionate armchair fan of rugby union, and was especially proud of seeing England finally win the Rugby World Cup in 2003. Apart from sport, he also enjoyed walking, gardening and was a talented artist, especially producing detailed sketches. Philip married Margaret in 1972 and they enjoyed more than 40 years of happy marriage. They had three children, firstly twin girls Elizabeth and Susan in 1975, followed by son Roger in 1980, who also attended Dulwich in the 1990s. He was a devoted family man, always remaining close to his siblings and he was especially proud of his three young grandchildren, Oliver, Annabelle and Josie. He enjoyed family holidays, especially in Devon, Austria and Switzerland, because time with his family was always so precious to him. Philip had a six-year fight against cancer, facing his illness with great resilience reflecting his character. He is remembered as a true gentleman with a gentle sense of humour. He is survived, and greatly missed, by his wife, Margaret, as well as his children and grandchildren, and wider family. His son Roger contributed significantly to this obituary.
Philip Spencer Cooper (1953-62) 01.07.1943 – 28.08.2014
Philip Cooper was born in Georgetown, British Guiana, during the Second World War as the second son of George William Eric and Doris Eileen Cooper. He grew up in Guiana with his siblings, Godfrey, Patricia and Christopher, and
used to recall happy tales from their childhood there, from picking mangos and avocados, to riding his bike around the family house and going to see the Kaieteur Falls. Philip initially attended St Stanislaus College, Georgetown, and came to Dulwich at the same time as his older brother, Godfrey. Their younger brother, Christopher, subsequently also came to Dulwich. All three brothers were in Spenser, and were boarders, initially in Bell House before moving on to Blew House. Philip swam for the Colts in his early years at the College, but later concentrated on playing tennis in summer months. He played tennis for the school in 1960, 1961 and 1962, won the tennis cup on two occasions and was Tennis Captain in 1962. He was a school prefect and played rugby for the College 2nd XV, and later also played rugby for the OAs. He greatly enjoyed his time at Dulwich, and particularly enjoyed recounting stories about his sporting experiences at the school. After studying Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry A levels at the College, Philip joined accountancy firm Chalmers, Wade, Impey, Cudworth & Co and he qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1968. He became a partner in 1979 and, after more than thirty years at the same firm, despite several mergers and name changes, he left Kidsons Impey in 1995 to set up his own Chartered Accountancy practice working from home. He took his working career very seriously and was proud of being a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. Upon his retirement in 2010, his clients gave warm words of appreciation, noting his ‘thoroughness, knowledge and competence.’ After his sporting prowess at Dulwich, Philip continued to keep fit for the rest of his life. He always did early- morning exercise routines, and also liked sporting
Michael John Joseph Curley (1959-65) 26.07.1948 – 25.12.2011
His parents lived in Dulwich and Michael Curley came to the College from the Prep, and was in Raleigh. After leaving Dulwich, he started working in advertising for S H Benson and Thames Television, but soon moved into import and export sales with
various companies including British American Tobacco (BAT) and Ronson, which saw the start of his travelling all over the world on business. He lived in Abu Dhabi for two and a half years between 1982 and 1984 working for Spinneys, while his two sons remained in the UK at Brightlands, the boarding house for the Prep. He then moved to Andover in 1985 when he started a position with Twinings for five years, before moving to Bendicks of Mayfair in Winchester, both positions requiring extensive worldwide travel again. An intensive work schedule left Mike little time for leisure interests, but he was interested in most sports, particularly football, as he was an avid Chelsea fan all his life and a season ticket holder for several seasons. Michael married Mandy in 1970 and two sons followed. The marriage lasted 41 years until his unexpected and sudden death at home in Andover on Christmas
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