William Barnett (B1 1949-53) died 29th June 2024. His son, Nick, shared his obituary below.
Dad passed away in France, on 29th June 2024, only a week after my last visit and a picnic in the sunshine at his care home. Though dementia had affected him in his final months, he was lucid during that visit, enjoying the Guinness we’d smuggled in.
One of my earliest memories, nearly 60 years ago, was Dad letting me hold the steering wheel of a Massey Ferguson tractor. He always encouraged us – his children – to “have a go”, whether exploring Temple Grove where he taught, or at Ellesmere College, shooting at the range, sailing, or hiking in Wales.
He loved running the sailing club and orienteering trips; these weren’t just activities but adventures: 24-hour sailing projects, boat-building in his underground workshop, “Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, and holiday camping trips to Wales with spam sandwiches and Primus stoves. All of this, while acting as secretary for the Under Fourteen League, and scoring targets well into his retirement.
The 1980s saw him become a gifted fundraiser, raising over £1 million for Ellesmere College before similar roles at Oakham, Dorothy House and Marlborough College. During this time, he and Mum moved from Shropshire to Wiltshire, sparking a desire for new horizons.
Exploratory trips to France culminated in purchasing a Gersois farmhouse between Toulouse and the Pyrenees. Retirement brought them a warmer climate, gentler lifestyle, and a new passion – wine! While these eased life’s aches, they couldn’t prevent Mum’s too-early departure at 72.
In signature “keep calm and carry on” fashion, Dad found companionship with Liane, a widow with whom he shared a love of choir-singing. He remained active in his community, still driving up to his 88th birthday in 2023 and mowing the valley where he and Mum had planted 1,000 trees, 25 years earlier.
Dad’s departure leaves an unfillable space in our hearts, yet his legacy endures in the lessons he taught, the trees he planted and the lives he touched. His warmth, boundless energy and quiet strength live on in all who had the privilege of knowing this remarkable man.
