Page 88 - Bloxhamist 2017-2018

THE OLD BLOXHAMISTS

Engagements suddenly due to heart failure on 19th They married the following year in
December 2017, aged 84. 1947 and upon leaving the army, Frank
joined Kirk and Kirk, a London based
Congratulations to Izzy Faccenda (Wf Peter Clark (Wf 50-55) passed away in Building and Engineering Company,
04-11) and Jago Poole (Eg 04-11) on the late summer of 2017. rising to become Managing Director
their engagement. in 1965 and Chairman in 1971.
The company prospered under his
Congratulations to James Miller (Wf leadership with work as diverse as the
94-99) and Abbie Mills on their City Hall in Bermuda and the Britannia
engagement. Hotel in Grosvenor Square.

Congratulations to Alex Stevenson Frank and Delphine were a very special
(Sy 04-08) and Sophie White on their couple. They were immensely proud
engagement. of their family. Frank was awarded
an MBE for Services to Education;
Congratulations to Lauren Tibbetts an achievement well deserved but
(Wf 99-06) and Adam Forder on their undoubtedly also a credit to the support
engagement. The wedding will take of Delphine.”
place in September 2018.

Births
Frank Defty MBE (School Council 74-
91) passed away on 5th August 2017,
To Matthew Dixon (Cr 89-92) and aged 96. His wife Delphine passed
Kirsty, a daughter, Sophie Eleanor, on away shortly after on 8th January 2018,
27th April 2018, a sister for William. aged 95. Adored parents to Barbara
and Nigel, and grand-children Suzie,
To Charlotte (née Newbold Wf 99-06) Nicky, James and Nick and seven great-
and Phil Edwards, a daughter, Amelie grandchildren.
June (7lb 10oz), on 12th May 2018, a
baby sister for Rafe. We are grateful for these kind words
from Nigel Halfpenny (Bursar 86-
To Silke Germersdorf (PC/Wn 97-99), 10): “Frank and Delphine Defty were
a son, Niklas Johann, on 11th October very much a winning team. Frank, David Grant-Adamson (Wf 41-45) passed
2017. a governor (74-91) and Chairman of away on 11th December 2017, aged 90.
Governors (81-91), was described by
To Claire Keenan (PC/Cr 94-96) and Michael Vallance (Headmaster 82-91), David was born in Oxford in 1927. He
Oliver Bond, a son, Wilfred Peter Bond, as a chairman in a class of his own. was educated at Bloxham School before
on 4th December 2016. Supported by his wife Delphine, Frank joining the Royal Marines in 1944
always showed an interest in all of and he was in training when the war
To Marie Maronde (née von Wedel SH/ the staff and their families during his ended. David worked for the Oxford
Ry 97-99), a third son, Theodor Anton chairmanship. He had an incredibly Mail before moving in 1957 to The
Ferdinand, on 8th August 2017 in clear mind, he was decisive in the chair Telegraph as foreign correspondent.
Hamburg. but never stifled argument and he His career took him across war torn
always managed to complete business regions, political crises and riots
To Anya Mayor (née White Ry 98-02), with enormous dispatch, no doubt around the globe. On one occasion in
a daughter, Alice. due to the fact that he was thoroughly 1962 he obtained permission to visit
prepared beforehand. Kurdish tribesmen fighting Turks,
To Julian Seymour (Ry 93-96) and Persians and Arabs in the mountains
Alice, a son Finn, brother for Alex. Frank was born near Sunderland of Iraq. From Istanbul, he set off to
in 1921 and by the time he finished find the Kurdish nationalist leader,
To Huw Solly (Cr 97-02) a daughter, school at Denstone College, war had ‘Mullah’ Mustafa Barzani by truck, then
Emilia Rose, on 13th May 2015. broken out. He immediately enlisted horseback. When he finally reached
in the army and within months left the Kurdish headquarters he achieved
To Hannah Twynam (Wf 02-04), a son, his parents and boarded a troop ship a scoop by finding Frank Gosling,
Edmund David Thomas (7lb 6oz) on 18th bound for India. Five years later, having a captured British geologist, whose
August 2017, a brother for Theodora. commanded one of the biggest vehicle freedom he obtained. But the Kurdish
depots in Calcutta, he returned to leadership was driven by factionalism
riP England with the rank of Lt. Colonel. and Barzani proved an unforthcoming
interviewee. After returning to Britain,
His final posting was to command the
depot in Cornbury Park, Charlbury, in 1978 he was appointed diplomatic
Ian Adams MBE (Wf 37-41) passed where he was to meet a lovely ATS correspondent, with the duty of
away on 5th August 2017, aged 94. Officer, Delphine Hill, who was to attending afternoon briefings at the
be the love of his life and constant Foreign Office and accompanying
Brian Attewell (Wn 46-50) passed away companion for the next 71 years. ministers on foreign trips.
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