VALETE
Steve Purchase
I t was with great sadness that the College heard the news last November that Dr Steve Purchase had died at home over half term, the cause of death being heart failure due to a combination of medical problems. Steve’s time at Dulwich began in 2002 when he joined us as a teacher of Mathematics, having taught briefly at Hills Road Sixth Form College, and then at Eton College beforehand. During his time at the College, Steve was equally happy teaching boys across the age-range, from Year 7 to Year 13, as well as helping prepare boys for Oxbridge, most recently with the Mathematics section of the Oxford Physics entrance paper. Steve also oversaw the writing of the College Mathematics magazine, DC Mathematica , each year, helping organise the articles submitted by boys and staff and arranging the printing in time for Founder’s Day. Steve’s love of Mathematics was evident to those with whom he came into contact. The subject of his PhD thesis was galactic clusters, solving the n-body problem using computational numerical methods. His commitment to the subject was evident; he thought deeply about his teaching, regularly posing insightful and penetrating questions on the theory behind the syllabus to others in the Maths Department. In memory of Steve, the prize for the best article for DC Mathematica will be named the Purchase Prize from now on. Steve was also involved with squash at the College throughout his time here, running club sessions as well as taking boys to inter-school matches.
Steve will be much missed by his colleagues at the College, both in the Mathematics Department, and more widely. He will be remembered as someone with a good sense of humour, determination and kindness, the latter being particularly evident to his pupils. Several messages to the College since Steve’s death confirmed the lasting impression that he made on many of his students, a common theme being Steve’s patience, willingness to adapt his teaching to an individual’s needs, and his sense of fun. Having worked alongside him for 15 years, I valued Steve very much as a friend, as well as a colleague. We played golf together many times in the early days, with Steve having a very distinctive and dramatic swing, and we continued to play tennis regularly over the years. In all these activities, one thing that sticks out for me is Steve’s sense of humour and fun — this came across whether in the Maths Office or out of school. He could also be wonderfully stubborn, always willing to argue a point, though always ending with a smile and checking that he hadn’t been too harsh. Steve had a genuine concern for others, whether asking them about day-to-day problems or visiting someone in hospital. Steve continues to be missed in the department and I suspect we will continue to look back fondly on his idiosyncrasies for a long time to come.
Chris Ottewill
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