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

Derek married his wife Odette in 1950 and they had two children. He died in
September 2000.
OSCAR MARK THOMSON (1946), brother of G D T (1922), deplored
modernity in general and falling standards in grammar in particular. He
always signed himself “O M Thomson”, but was known asTommy, colleagues
being unaware of what his initials stood for.
Tommy was born on 25 May 1919 in London and attended Bradfield College.
He came to King’s to read English and was quietly proud of having been in
the Choir. Many years later he frequently wore a well-worn navy blazer with
the King’s crest, together with his customary cravat. After several years of
lecturing at teacher training colleges and for London Extramural, he became
a Lecturer in English at the Brooklands Technical College in Weybridge in
1954.Tommy was first married in 1940 and in August 1958 he was married
again, to Amy Bowden.
Grammar was a subject close to Tommy’s heart and he deplored the lack of
attention it was accorded in the modern world. Split infinitives, the modern
use of “hopefully” and the sloppiness and illogicality of “different to” were all
despised. The irrational request by a student at the staffroom door “Is Mr
Taylor there at all?” drew the response “No, not even a little bit of him.” In an
attempt to address such failings Tommy authored Essential Grammar (although
he preferred the title GrammarYou Need), published in 1978.
Tommy’s disgust for modernity went beyond grammar, however. Bypasses,
motorways and other road improvements were a particular source of
indignation, despite the much-reduced time for his drive to work from his
home in Guildford that they enabled.
In spite of being a jovial member of staff at Brooklands, Tommy did not
socialise with colleagues, and although he was always willing to help out if
asked, he never offered assistance spontaneously. He confided to a colleague
that after his divorce he had discovered ways to reduce housework, one of
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OBITUARIES