Mr Tom Hewitt

We are sorry to announce the recent death of Mr Tom Hewitt, who taught Chemistry at King’s between 1975 and 1997. Former pupils and colleagues will remember Tom as a dedicated and supportive member of staff who was a pleasure to work with. At a time when no particular requirement existed to make teaching exciting or appealing, Tom did this intuitively, as can be seen in the photograph showing one of his well-known explosive experiments in action. He had the gift of making his subject accessible to all and the patience to help those who needed things explaining more than once.

As a kind and effective mentor, Tom showed a genuine interest in the personal development of pupils under his care. He had strong pastoral skills which saw him serve as Second Master in the Middle School for most of the 1980s. He was also an integral part of the King’s boarding community, being a long-standing tutor in Wardle House and in fact the Housemaster of Wardle in its final year before boarding came to an end there in 1995.

Throughout his time at King’s Tom was energetically engaged with D of E, Expeditions Club, the Fell Walking Society and outdoor pursuits of every kind. The many trips he organised to the Alps and the Pyrenees were legendary and provided the opportunity of a lifetime for the groups of pupils who joined him.

Huge distances were covered in the school minibus followed by intrepid hikes and climbs in some of Europe’s highest mountains, where those who could keep up with him were invariably treated to a lavish fry-up on an open fire prepared by Tom at or near the summit.

As a popular member of staff who made friends easily, Tom stayed in contact with many former pupils long after his retirement. He also remained a frequent visitor at King’s, joining the school of today for Remembrance, Speech Day and other occasions until very recently. The whole school community is lessened by his passing, and we salute the huge contribution he made with such gusto and commitment.

The funeral will take place in Cumbria on Wednesday the 17th September at 13.00 at St. Mungos Church in Dearham.