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Part 2 (Obituaries) - King's College - University of Cambridge

Part 2 (Obituaries) - King's College - University of Cambridge

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186<br />

OBITUARIES<br />

teach Russian. He soon became as enthusiastic about Russian literature as he<br />

was about Classical.<br />

As with his teaching, Bennie took his responsibilities as a father very seriously.<br />

A neighbour once commented that she had never known a parent who<br />

listened so attentively to a child’s questions and tried to answer them all. In<br />

1964, after two sons, a much-wanted daughter Ruth was born. Her Down’s<br />

Syndrome gave Bennie and Margaret new challenges in helping her to develop<br />

her full potential, grow to adulthood and learn to live independently.<br />

At school Bennie was equally concerned for all pupils, not just the highflyers.<br />

He genuinely enjoyed teaching all ages and abilities and was<br />

concerned for their welfare, giving up his time to visit their families to<br />

discuss concerns or to help them make decisions about their futures. He<br />

approached non-academic activities with the same diligence, running the<br />

school chess team and taking it to victory in a national competition, as well<br />

as enthusing the boys with his own love <strong>of</strong> cricket. He was an active Scout<br />

Leader, although he had trouble lighting fires and never really mastered<br />

knots. Bennie always believed that it was important for pupils to think<br />

beyond the curriculum, and encouraged discussion about Graham Greene,<br />

politics and world events.<br />

Bennie talked a lot, and evolved a method <strong>of</strong> protracting his sentences so that it<br />

was difficult to break in. He would begin talking to someone on the bus while<br />

he was still outside in the queue, using hand signals, so that by the time he was<br />

on board and ready to sit down, the conversation was already in full flow.<br />

In retirement, Bennie extended his modern language skills. He learned<br />

modern Greek so that the family could make the most <strong>of</strong> their holidays, and<br />

learned Czech in order to help Czech asylum-seekers when they arrived in<br />

Wolverhampton. Bennie also participated in the Parosi scheme, teaching<br />

English in the local Asian community and forging links with the Imam at the<br />

local mosque. Bennie had a real gift for friendship, and kept up<br />

correspondence for many years. A special pleasure for him in retirement was<br />

his grandchildren.

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