37 / 60
35
ST EDWARD’S
r
h
u
b
a
r
b
of the Clarendon Club. He
was a Trustee of the Culham
Educational Trust and also
the Oxfam Pension Scheme.
Geoffrey was President of the
St Edwards School Society in
1998 and Treasurer of the St
Edward's School Martyrs from
1974 to 2008. He was also
a Governor of Headington
School for 19 years, chairing the
Finance Committee during that
time. Geoffrey is survived by
his wife and children, Helen and
Andrew.
PALAU
– On Sunday 6th
March 2016, Geoffrey Bassett
Palau (E, 1934-1940), father to
Michael Palau (B, 1934-1940)
who has kindly provided the
following obituary;
My father came to St
Edward’s in 1934 and so began
an affair with the school which
lasted over 80 years. He often
described his time at the School
as the happiest of his life. He
held a Middle School record for
the 100 yards for some 25 years
and reading the rugby reports
of 1938, 1939 and 1940 this is
not surprising as they had XVs
which won most matches and
were unbeaten against peer
schools. He went one better
being selected for English
Schools to play the Scottish
but the match was snowed off
in December 1939. This was
a disappointment but a visiting
England scrum half commented
that he would not have to wait
long for his full cap. This was
not to be as the War which
took him into the Grenadiers
also took his left leg. Needing
wine for a party to celebrate
survival from the War he found
that it was hard to find. A friend
of a friend suggested he talk
to Edward Young, the wine
merchants, who also offered
him a job. His plans for being a
barrister were abandoned and
now with a wife and family he
was happy to be employed.
He remained in the wine trade
for his entire working life being
recruited in 1954 by Seagrams,
the large Canadian company,
and managing the House of
Seagram in the UK from 1956.
Thus began 14 happy years
as a relatively young MD in
London. Post Seagram he was
invited by IDV (now Diageo) to
play various roles as Chairman
and MD until his retirement
in the 1980s. His time as a
Governor of the School began
in 1964 when he was invited
by Warden Frank Fisher to
bring some commercial nous
to the Board. It was not until
1979 that he became Chairman
of the General Purposes
Committee and quite soon
after had to address the thorny
idea of bringing girls into the
school. Initially not convinced
he became over the years one
of the strongest converts and
in his later years claimed it was
his best achievement to bring
girls into the Sixth Form in 1983
followed by co-education in
1997. To say that he enjoyed
his involvement with Teddy’s
is an understatement. Not that
he found persuading academics
of certain moves to be easy,
but he kept his eye on the prize
and served in support of five
Wardens until he finally retired
at the age of 80 in 2001. He had
been Chairman from 1985-
1992. Thanks to a friendship
with the current Chairman
of Governors, Mike Stanfield,
he continued to visit Teddy’s
and was happy to keep in
touch. At the 150th a splendid
photograph was taken by Katie
Jones before he collapsed in the
heat. Nothing else would have
stopped him taking part. He
died peacefully with his family
around him after a short illness
with round-the-clock care in his
flat in Wimbledon. A service
to celebrate his life was held at
St Mary’s Church, Wimbledon
on the 2nd April. This was well
attended including a strong
team from Oxford; the family
were heartened by the support.
Tributes were paid by James
Espey, a business colleague,
his grandchildren, Camilla,
Alice, Laura and William, Mike
Stanfield and finally his daughter
Julia and me, Michael Palau.
The tribute to Geoffrey Palau
also appears in the current issue
of the
Chronicle.
PALMER
– On 19th
December 2015, John Palmer
(A, 1960-1965).
The following obituary has
kindly been provided by John’s
wife, Alex;
John was educated at
Sompting Abbot’s Prep School
and then at St Edward’s,
Oxford, where he played an
active role in the music of the
school, but never shone at
sport. He studied Chemistry
at Southampton University
where he met Alex, playing
their flutes side by side in the
university orchestra. They
were both also involved in the
choirs and musical productions.
After graduating John and Alex
married and stayed on to do
their PGCEs at Southampton.
John’s first appointment was
to a Head of Department,
at Market Rasen Grammar
school in Lincolnshire, where
he intended to remain long
enough to qualify for the
SRC scholarship he had been
awarded. He had intended to
take up a place at Oxford to do
a PhD, but decided to go for an
interview at Wellington College
to consult the Master, who had
been his Warden at Teddies, and
whom he much admired. Frank
Fisher persuaded him that three
years teaching experience would
be of greater use to his career
than a PhD, and so he joined
the Chemistry department
at Wellington in 1971. John
was a committed member of
Common Room, showing great
skill as a Chemistry teacher but
also joining the CCF, helping
with hockey, swimming and
cricket and taking part in various
musical events, especially
starring in such roles as Ralph
Rackstraw in
HMS Pinafore
, and
the defendant in
Trial by Jury
. He
also found time with a colleague,
to write the Palmer and Shaw
chemistry text book (still in use
today) and to start a family.
From 1975 to 1977 he went on
exchange to NZ and taught at
King’s School, Auckland. While
there he continued both to
teach and be involved in many
extra-curricular activities. He and
Alex with their two little boys
travelled extensively and made
many friends. They returned
with the addition of a daughter
in December 1977 and John
was immediately invited, with
Alex, to start and run Apsley,
the first boarding house for girls.
Four years later, at the early
age of 34, John was appointed
Headmaster of an all-girls
Geoffrey Palau
John Palmer
O B I T U A R I E S