Obituaries
Rudolphe Richard Clarence Abrahams (1938-41) 13.12.23-09.11.11 Rudolphe Abrahams came to Dulwich from The Hall, Sydenham, and was at school in the early years of WW2. On leaving he joined the Bank of England but was soon in the Royal Navy and then commissioned as a sub-lieutenant serving as a Fleet Air Arm pilot flying Swordfish, Tiger Moths and other aircraft of that time; he also spent time in Trinidad as a test pilot. After the war he returned to the Bank where he spent the rest of his working life. A keen photographer, he was a member of the Royal Photographic Society, sitting on various committees and judging competitions. Married three times, he spent his retirement years living happily with Margaret in Colchester, while in his later years he suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease. John Arregger came to the College after being evacuated to Dulwich at the start of WW2. Having arrived with a pronounced Canadian accent, the next morning he found a brilliantly drawn cartoon by fellow pupil, Bob Monkhouse, of a cowboy hurling a lasso with the caption “Big Bill Arregger”. From then on he was always Bill to his friends. After National Service as a meteorologist in the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy, he studied chemical engineering at Imperial College, London, where he was a proud owner of a 1953 Triumph TR3 (still in the family) and also played trumpet in various groups including the Chelsea Opera Group conducted by Colin Davis (later Sir Colin). Setting up a business as a chemical engineering consultant, he married Betty, moving to Twickenham with her and their children. His business included flying to many parts of the world to act as an expert witness in legal disputes. Following his divorce in 1996 he replaced his yacht with a Hallberg Russy 42 more suited to sailing round the world and embarked on his ten year navigation accompanied by family and friends, including Bridget Adams, lecturer and writer whom he was to marry later in 2009 having bought a house together in the Cotswolds. John Edward Arregger (1944-47) 18.01.29-16.06.11 Guy Bentham came to Dulwich from Cypress Junior School in Norwood. After leaving Dulwich, he worked as a volunteer teacher in Swaziland before returning to the UK to study for an English Literature and Italian Studies degree at the University of Reading. He had a part-time job at a bookshop in Reading while a student there and then joined a publishing company as manager of its Covent Garden bookshop in 1987. He remained with the same company until 1999, using his linguistic and marketing skills to develop Guy Bentham (1970-76) 11.10.58-06.10.10
the business which became the leading specialist bookshop on international and development issues. In 2000 he joined another publishing company in the USA, and expanded its business considerably during his three years there. He returned to London in 2004 as publishing manager at the Commonwealth Secretariat, a position he held until his unexpected death at a Frankfurt Book Fair reception. His many friends in publishing and international development will remember him as an intelligent and courteous colleague whose affable and generous nature was demonstrated by his willingness to readily share his knowledge. A lover of theatre, literature, travel and cooking, he was also committed to wider social change through his voluntary work, arts patronage, and as the chair of the congregation at his local Unitarian church. An obituary was published in Bookseller magazine, on which this is based. Dr Allan Braham was a classicist and after completing national service he joined his friend and fellow OA, Keith Roberts, at the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London in studying history of art. He then joined the curatorial staff at the National Gallery, rising to be Keeper and Deputy Director. His doctoral thesis had been in an aspect of French architectural research, culminating in 1980 in an acclaimed book, The Architecture of the French Enlightenment. Married to Helen, a fellow student, he was forced by illness to take early retirement and as a result he was unable to follow up his scholarly pursuits. Brian Clark came to Dulwich from Alleyn’s School and was a prefect and head of the science side and a flight sergeant in the ATC. He then went on to Christ Church, Oxford, taking a RAF short course before serving as a navigator seeing service during the Berlin Airlift. On demobilisation he returned to Christ Church to read mathematics before training as an actuary and he then became a founding partner of Lane Clark & Peacock actuaries. He was a contributor to the Bursary Fund and to other College appeals over the years. His OA nephew, Tim Havenhand (73- 84), who has contributed to this obituary, says he was fortunate to have had part of his school fees funded by his uncle during his time at Dulwich. Allan John Whitney Braham (1950-55) 19.08.37-03.03.11 Brian John Clark (1937-43) 12.05.25-28.01.12
Roger Courtenay Coombs (1938-39) 12.07.24-31.05.11
Roger Coombs came to Dulwich from the Prep but after only one year his family moved to Cranbrook where he finished his schooling during the early
35 Obituaries
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