Stapleton, Henry

Head of maths from 1968 until closure

Date of Death: 09/06/2019

Please click here to add your own memories about Mr Stapleton.

We learned in early June that Henry Stapleton, head of Maths at Ottershaw School from 1968 till the closure of the school, had died at St Peter’s Hospital, Chertsey on the morning of Sunday 9 June 2019. He had not been in hospital for a full day and was asleep and breathing gently, and then just stopped breathing. “Mercifully so gentle and peaceful” said his wife, Ann. The funeral was held at, St Lawrence Church, Chobham at 12.00 on Monday 24 June and was attended by OSOBS members Peter Jones, Peter Lewis, Trevor Olney, Dennis Pocock and John Young.

On learning of the death, Professor of Mathematics John Chapman OT841 North reported “I remember Mr Stapleton with great affection, and I can also remember vividly his appearance - tall, and somewhat lean and spare, with rather angular features. He was a magnificent teacher of mathematics to me, Rowland Burley, and a few others, in our lower sixth year. Incredible though it may seem to the more earthy characters at the school, I regarded his doublemathematics lesson as the highlight of the week!”

A eulogy for Henry follows:

Henry Stapleton - 18 May 1931 to 9 June 2019     -  The following  eulogy was read by Henry's son Peter.

Henry was born and grew up in Leamington Spa. He was the son of Celia and Walter Stapleton and younger brother to John. They lived just beside their allotment, where Henry developed his life-long interest in gardening and growing his own fruit and vegetables.

After primary school, just round the comer, he passed the eleven-plus and attended the local grammar school, Leamington College. At school, Henry enjoyed maths and geography. He passed the School Certificate and the Higher School Certificate in maths, physics and chemistry. He also played tennis and rugby and enjoyed running. He went on to Birmingham University, where he obtained a BSc (Hons) in Mathematics, followed by a Teaching Certificate at Saltley College.

In 1953, instead of the standard two years of National Service, Henry took a three year Short Service Commission in the RAF. As Pilot Officer Stapleton, he taught maths to cadets at RAF Hereford’s Apprentice Training School, where he was deputy to the senior education officer.

In 1956, he took up a teaching post at Peter Symonds School, Winchester, which was then a grammar school for boys aged 11 to 18. He moved in as an assistant house master in School House, which involved looking after the boarders out of school hours. At Peter Symonds, Henry attracted the nick-name Cyril, after the well- known show-band conductor of the day. The tall, young mathematician with a distinctive Warwickshire accent had a gentle and patient classroom manner. He also played tennis and squash at the school and joined a local tennis club. His usual classroom (Selborne) was at the end of a block, where he used to see a young woman walking home from her job as a bank clerk...

One evening, the Kelso house master, John ‘Sandy’ St John (1903-84), invited his young colleague back for supper. There, Henry met Ann St John and they began a courtship which took in regular visits to concerts and the ballet in Southampton, invariably on the number 47 bus. Cars were still a rarity for young schoolmasters! They were married on 26 July 1958 in St Bartholomews Church, Hyde, Winchester. They moved to a new house in the nearby community of Oliver’s Battery. They had a large garden with plenty of room for fruit trees, vegetables and a line of twenty rose bushes. Henry sang in Winchester Choral Society and his local church choir, St Mark’s, where he also helped as deputy churchwarden. During that time, David and Peter were born. Anyone who knows the area will understand that pushing prams uphill to the shops was hard work!

In 1968, Henry and the family moved to Chobham, initially in Red Lion Road. Henry was often to be seen on his nearby allotment or walking on Chobham Common with the family, including the dog. In those days, Henry became a governor at Chobham St Lawrence School. He was active in the campaign to stop the County Council (his own employer) closing the infants school. The school’s future was ultimately secured by it becoming a church school.

Since their very first days in the village, Henry and Ann were heavily involved with St Lawrence Church. They both sang in the choir. Henry served for two long stints as churchwarden, both times covering an interregnum, which added considerably to his responsibilities. These involved anything from booking retired vicars; to assembling the Easter garden; to painting the inside of the church. He also took a turn as secretary to the Parochial Church Council, with Ann typing up the minutes for him. One of his initiatives was to set up a rota of drivers for those needing help getting to church, little thinking he would come to rely on it in later years. The church has remained a big part of his life and he would always attend Sunday services whenever he was well enough.

Henry had moved to Chobham to become head of the maths department at Ottershaw School, which was then a Surrey County Council boarding school. There, he taught boys aged 12 to 18 from a wider range of abilities than his previous grammar school. At the school Henry also helped to run the Combined Cadet Force, where he was in charge of the army section, the CCF stores and accounts. He also took groups of boys to camps and adventure training, including to the Cairngorms, Wales and Germany. He ran the school rifle club, tennis club and a small barbershop group as well as helping with the choir and the squash club.

When Ottershaw School closed in 1980, Henry moved to be head of maths at the Gordon Boys School (as it was then) on the other side of the village. For a year, he taught at both schools driving past his home on the way between them – with no time to stop. Henry spent some ten years there, retiring in 1991 just as it was converting to co-education.

In the early years of his retirement, Henry continued with some maths tutoring. He took up bowling and calligraphy, progressing to set up and teach a new U3A calligraphy group in Chobham, which is still going strong. He and Ann also travelled a lot. They went on nature tours to Switzerland, Italy and Spain as well as two church trips – one to the Holy Land and one to the Passion Play at Oberammergau.

Henry suffered a severe stroke in 2002 which took away his speech and the use of his right arm and leg. Over the years, Henry and Ann came up with ingenious alternative methods of communication, through notes and other aids. With great determination, and huge support from Ann and friends and neighbours, Henry continued to live as full and independent a life as he could. He and Ann holidayed in Scotland, Winchester and Worthing and went on two cruises around the UK. As recently as last year, they spent three days with Henry's cousin at her care home in Hertfordshire. Henry always enjoyed spending time with friends at the church and the Chobham Old Folks Club. When he and Ann reached their diamond wedding anniversary last summer, Henry was particularly keen to celebrate the occasion and delighted to see so many relatives and friends.

Henry was a devoted son; a patient, playful father and grandfather; a supportive husband and a good friend to many.