We put together an Obituary for the Newbury Weekly News which is a tad cheaper than the Times (blimey a comma costs £5) which we also did. This is the NWN one:
Geoffrey William Brown, 11th October 1929 – 28th April 2013
Born in Baghdad to Henry Wilfred and Hilda Mary Brown, he left at 4 years, continuing his childhood in the Woodley area with his sister Patricia.He was schooled at Marlborough College and, after a period of National Service, went on to study Modern Languages at Brasenose College, Oxford specialising in Romance Philology (language derivations from Latin).After he graduated he took up a teaching post at Horris Hill prep school where he met his wife Julia. He later moved to Redrice School Andover teaching French. As his hearing diminished, he retrained at Newbury college in Mathematics which he taught for many years before finally moving to Saint Mary’s, Wantage, to teach Computer Studies.Married in 1961, Geoffrey and Julia had 5 children, the youngest, Helena, who sadly died aged 18 in 1991, spurred them both into a ten year ‘Walking for Epilepsy’ campaign raising over £37,000.It is hard to say where he was happiest: in a book, with his electronics and computers, watching cricket, collecting fire wood from the woods around his home in Oare, boating on the river and canal, walking, or of course, playing golf. While he suffered throughout his life from deafness, latterly to a severe extent, he never let his condition get in the way of life and friendship.He had been ill for some time and died peacefully with his family around him at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, leaving his wife Julia, four children and ten devoted grandchildren. A charming, intelligent man with a great sense of humour, he will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
