Magazine 2024 Final Full Res v1 - Flipbook - Page 26
John De’Ath: Some re昀氀ec琀椀ons from Mike Fleet.
Li琀琀le did I, as an aspiring second
form athlete in the early 1950s,
know that, more than half a
century later, I would have the
opportunity to publicly recount
some of the inspira}onal deeds of
John De9Ath, or to have
been fortunate enough
to count him as a
personal friend, in
recent }mes.
Herne Hill Harrier, who led him
home in both the half and the
mile on Sports Day. Later that
season, John won the County
Bronze in the Surrey Schools
Championships.
John9s spor}ng ability
was 昀椀rst men}oned in
the 1946 Summer
edi}on of the MidWhitgivian Magazine,
when his name
appeared for the 昀椀rst
}me as a notable young
harrier, awarded junior
colours, aver a very
successful season.
health problems, John soldiered
on with his athle}c career.
1 min 55.3 secs, John9s best }me
for the half mile, set in his RAF
days, is a mark which many a
county standard runner would be
happy to achieve these days.
At the end of John9s ac}ve
running career, he made
a substan}al
contribu}on to the sport
as an administrator, 昀椀rst
as Chairman of the RAF
Athle}cs Associa}on and
then, at Oxford, as VicePresident, Trustee and
Treasurer of the Achilles
Club and Treasurer and
Trustee of the Oxford
University Athle}cs Club
Development Fund.
In 1994, he organised a
celebra}on of the
for}eth anniversary of
Sir Roger Bannister9s Sub
Four Minute Mile, with
Sir Roger and 11 other
World One Mile Record
Holders, pictured here,
In 1948, he won the
under 16 880 yards on
Sports Day in 2 mins
18.2secs, later
improving to a school
age group record of 2 mins 13.3
secs.
His 昀椀nest school athle}c year was
1951, when he deservedly won
full athle}c colours and the right I think you will agree that this is a
In 1950, he was snapping at the
to wear the accompanying, much unique occasion in the history of
heels of the school9s star distance
admired chocolate brown blazer, Athle}cs.
runner, Alan Hine, an established
with pale blue trim. Despite some
Marke}ng Board but later
established his own small
Chris joined Trinity in 1956 from company impor}ng fresh 昀氀owers,
fruit and herbs mainly from South
Spring Park Junior School and
proved to be a very useful 昀氀y-half America, for 25 years. He lived in
in Junior Rugby School XV9s, but
Sussex, and aver a long
was especially a very talented
progressive illness passed away in
cricketer, playing for the School
July 2023, and is survived by his
and also for the Old Boys for a
wife, two children and two step}me, then for a local club. Later in children.
life he carried on his spor}ng
He was a most delighvul man, full
interest by taking up golf and
of humour and modest about his
badminton. On leaving school
achievements, so his friends will
in1961, he was employed by
greatly miss him but be glad to
Brooke Bond, and also the Milk
have known him.
Chris Baverstock (1961) Frank Paine remembers
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