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ASCHAM OBITUARIES
In the last twelve months we have been informed of the deaths of the following Old Aschamians. Since they were also OEs you can find their Obituaries in the 2025 Edition of The Old Eastbournian magazine. If you are not an OE and would like to see a copy of any of these Obituaries then please email me. claughton@standrewsprep.co.uk
Patrick Douglas Attenborough (Ascham 1943–47/Wargrave 1947–51) Patrick died 20 April 2024. John Francis Russell Bedford (Ascham 1946–47/Reeves 1947–50) John died in 2023. Kenneth Gordon Sydney Boulter (Ascham 1945–47/Wargrave 1947–49) Kenneth died 13 October 2019. Richard David Burke (Ascham 1955–59/Powell 1959–64) Richard died 27 May 2024
Rev Andrew Alexander Macintosh (Ascham 1945–50/Pennell 1950–55) Andrew died 5 December 2024. Veerapatana Tom Navisthrira (Ascham 1961–65/Pennell 1965–68) Tom died in August 2021. Rowan Michael Planterose (Ascham 1962–67/Powell 1967– 72) Rowan died 27 October 2024. Ronald Malcolm Walmsley Naylor (Ascham 1950–53/Powell 1953–58) Ronald died 12 November 2024. Michael Edward Wright-Anderson (Ascham 1945–49/ Blackwater 1949 –52) Michael died 13 April 2023.
Robert Gascoigne-Pees (Pennell 1952–58) Robert died in February 2023.
John Ward Huggett (Ascham 1962–65/ Powell 1966–69)
ANTHONY (TONY) CHAMPION (FORMER STAFF)
That weekend many of the boarders’ parents arrived in Eastbourne, being allowed to take their sons out to lunch on the Saturday and then see them again on the Sunday after attending the morning chapel service and parents meeting with the Ascham staff. 1955 completed the ten years since the school had become the Eastbourne College Preparatory School and a small hardback history was published. Then on Guy Fawkes Day a large firework display was held in celebration. Before the day all the fireworks had been laid out impressively in the front hall and form by form the boys were allowed to file past. On the evening itself Tony and the other younger masters set light to the fireworks and the large bonfire on the Ascham field with Tony being the one chosen to open the display with the largest rocket set off from the top of the Ascham tower after he had climbed up through the trapdoor onto its roof. At Ascham Tony met his future wife June Hodge who had been the Ascham matron since 1950. She had been born and raised in North Devon where her father was the bursar of West Buckland School and before Ascham she had undergone a period of nursing training in London at Bart’s hospital. Tony and June were married in the Peak District where he taught for a year. Subsequently he visited Ascham more than once and then in January 1969 he gave the boys what was reported as a thrilling lecture on mountaineering in the Swiss Alps. As a keen mountaineer, he had climbed the Matterhorn and the Eiger and the other major peaks in the Bernese Oberland. Tony then joined the staff of Dorset House School near Pulborough in 1964, becoming the headmaster there in 1983. The pre preparatory building was, and still, is named ‘Champs’. In 1993 June and he retired to Ambleside in the Lake District where he had an active retirement. He loved walking the fells. Choral music had remained a lifelong love and, a man of strong Christian faith, he took a weekly assembly at Langdale School for twenty-six years and was still singing in the Grasmere Church Choir at the age of ninety-two. June had died in 2009; they had been married fifty-three years. I am very grateful to Gordon Price (Old Aschamian 1958) for compiling this Obituary after lengthy research into Tony’s life and Teaching career.
Antony Champion, who died at home in the Lake District on 6th November 2022 aged ninety-four, was on the staff at Ascham from 1954 to 1956 having previously taught in Eastbourne at St Bedes both before and after Oxford University where he studied English. From Shrewsbury School Tony had won a Choral Exhibition at Worcester College, Oxford and he was therefore a very welcome addition to the Ascham Chapel Choir. He also had been a good enough oarsman to be selected for the university trial eights, but his size told
against him. He was told that he would have been one of the lightest rowers ever in the Boat Race and unfortunately for him the men’s lightweight boat race was twenty-five years in the future. Nevertheless the Ascham headmaster, Henry Collis, released him during the summer terms to coach the 1st IV at Eastbourne College just as had happened in the previous four years when he was at St. Bedes. In the winter terms at Ascham he was in charge of the Colts soccer game, the under 11s, who played matches home and away against St Andrews, St Bedes and three other prep schools. He was innovative. One afternoon he held a penalty taking competition which produced surprising results. And he introduced the award of colours for the Colts; they had only ever previously been given at 1st XI level at Ascham. For these he had managed to acquire some small attractive cloth badges with the five Olympic rings on a white background. They were certainly much sought after by the members of the team. Tony had actually been born in Jerusalem. His father, following the First World War, had remained in the Middle East entering the diplomatic service. During his appointment from 1944 to 1951 as Governor of Aden he had been knighted. Then after returning to England Sir Reginald Champion had trained at theological college and in the summer term of 1955 was the guest preacher at the Ascham Chapel on half term Sunday.
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