Obituary: Paul Killick (B2 1978-82)
Paul Richard Killick (B2 1978-82), 18 August 1964 – 11 October 2018.
Paul was born and bred in Hertfordshire apart from spending most of his first four years in Nigeria, before going to Marlborough (B2) from 1978 to 1982.
He soon showed a lively mind and sense of humour, sometimes subversive, a capacity for friendship and a feel for the underdog.
Paul read English and Drama at Goldsmiths College from 1983 obtaining Second Class honours.
A fan of the Royal Court Theatre, he went on to write plays himself including “The Lady with the Hammer” (Florence Nightingale) and “The Times they are a-changin’” (the 1980s Print-workers dispute).
With student friends he was a member of ‘The Attractive Bargain Bucket Theatre Company’, which worked with youth groups in Lewisham and in the Family Enclosure at Millwall Football Ground.
Paul next became writer-in-residence in prisons, including Norwich, Frankland (Co. Durham) and Boston; he was supportive of the inmates, shared their humour and encouraged them to write essays and poems, and to act in plays.
In the mid-1990s he met Wendy Slane from Dundee in Scotland, whom he was to marry, and settled in Lewisham. He became first student and then teacher at Lewisham College, taking an HND in computing at evening classes and teaching computing in the day.
He loved languages and travelling, beginning with many countries in Europe, and later Everest base camp and several Asian countries. He loved many kinds of music from jazz and classical to Motown, Punk and Techno, and created music quizzes every year for different groups of friends.
In his early 40s, Paul took the bold step of doing computing for commercial firms, leading to a long, successful role with the international company ‘Six Group’.
On 7 February 2013 Paul was diagnosed with bowel cancer which had already spread.
After 17 years together he and Wendy immediately decided to get married; their daughter Millie Elizabeth was born on 31 March 2015 and delighted him. Paul never let his illness get in his way, continuing to work and play every day until two weeks before cancer finally took him on 11 October 2018.
