Univ Record 2017

taught theology at Blackheath High School for Girls for 11 years; many of his ex-pupils
came to his funeral. After Blackheath, he became heavily involved in The Society for
Processed Thought, organising meetings attended by distinguished philosophers and
theologians.
In 1994 he married Ann at a grand wedding at St James’s Piccadilly. The service was
conducted by Bishop Sebag-Montefiore, a frequent participant in the Society meetings,
and I was best man.
Paddy was a prolific letter writer and had a great sense of fun. When I was living in
illegally independent Rhodesia he sent a postcard from Moscow saying “Why are the
people not yet free, Comrade? You are being watched”, but luckily it escaped the notice of
Rhodesian Special Branch. Paddy was a true eccentric and will be sadly missed not only
by his wife, Ann, and his three step-children but by a wide circle of friends.
GEORGE DAVID MILLYARD (Lancing) died on 15
September 2016 aged 85. We are most grateful to his
wife Jane for supplying this obituary:
David was awarded an Open Scholarship in 1948,
but opted to do his National Service in the Army
Education Corps, before coming up to read Classics
in 1951. Following graduation, he joined Burmah
Shell and spent three years in Pakistan selling oil. He
travelled throughout the country, which he enjoyed (it
was before it was divided) but came to the conclusion
that this was not the right career for him. Returning
to Oxford, he found an administrative job in the
University Surveyor’s Department.
In 1963 David was encouraged to follow an Oxford
colleague, David Edwards, who was appointed the first
Surveyor of the new University of Kent at Canterbury. It was two years before the arrival
of the first undergraduates and it was here that he met Jane, also one of the first dozen
or so administrative staff. David worked initially on the exciting development of the new
campus before moving to the academic division of the Registry, where he was appointed
Academic Secretary and Deputy Registrar. His role expanded as the University grew and
he remained there until 1990.
David retained a lifelong interest in the classical world and in the arts in general.
During his long retirement he immersed himself in local life, researching the history of
his village and parish church, which he served faithfully until his death.
He is survived by Jane, a son Nicholas, a daughter Sarah, and three grandsons.
JOHN WILLIAM NICHOLAS (Rugby) died on 5 August 2016. His son Giles (1981)
writes: “John Nicholas died suddenly on 5th August 2016 aged 84. He was born and
brought up in Wales by his mother after the death of his father at the age of 10. He was
educated at Rugby School before joining Univ in 1951 to read Geology and Mineralogy.
His three years at Univ were very happy times for him, playing sport (University 2nd XV
rugger) and making lifelong friends, all the while being mentored by the very influential
senior tutor Giles Alington. Such was the respect and impression that Giles had on
John (known as Jack) that John’s son was named after him. On going down, he worked
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as a stockbroker, first for James Capel and Company, and latterly for Quilter, Hilton,
Goodison & Co. John was a keen shot, sailor and golfer, maintaining to the last at least
a round or two a week. On retirement, he worked for the Prince’s Trust as a mentor,
advising young people starting up their own businesses and also as an assistant care home
inspector for the Care Quality Commission. His son Giles came up to Univ. in 1981.”.
JAMES EDWARD SHELLEY (Eton) died on 18 January 2017 aged 84. He read History
at Univ. On leaving Univ, he went to work for the Church Commissioners, where he
spent the rest of his working life, rising to become Secretary (i.e. Chief Executive) of the
Commissioners from 1985 until his retirement in 1992. He was awarded the CBE in the
New Year’s Honours List of 1991. His brother David and nephew Jonathan came up to
Univ in 1957 and 1993 respectively.
DAVID GEORGE WATTS (Price’s School, Fareham) died in October 2016 aged 85.
George Watts read History at Univ, and then did postgraduate research on Titchfield
Abbey, near his Hampshire birthplace. After university, he worked for the Victoria
County History. On the creation of the Open University, he worked for them, and
became a Senior Councillor. On taking early retirement, he ran Southern Tours, a
tourist guide business, based in Winchester. He continued to lecture on various historical
subjects right up until the end, and was President of the Titchfield History Society. His
contemporary from school and university, Patrick Nobes (1953), remembers him as “a
generous, very kind, learned and enlightened man, with a fine sense of humour”. Patrick
also remembers him as “a very keen sportsman (cricket and soccer) without being any
good at all, who played with the utmost enthusiasm for the Utopers”. His wife, Brenda
(née Benson), his exact contemporary at St Anne’s, had recently predeceased him.
1953
DERMOT ALBERT CONWAY (St. Michael’s College, Leeds) died on 14 June 2016
aged 82. He read History at Univ., and then stayed on to study for a Dip. Ed. He
did his National Service in the RAF, as an Education Officer, stationed in Aden. In
1963 he became a History teacher at St. Mary’s College, Leeds, where he spent the
rest of his career, variously as Head of History, Deputy Head and finally Headmaster.
He successfully steered the school’s transformation
from a direct grant girls’ grammar school to a mixed
comprehensive, now known as Mount St. Mary’s High
School, and retired in 1995. One former pupil, Cathy
Corcoran, OBE, currently CEO of the Cardinal Hume
Centre, a charity in Central London working with
homeless or poorly housed young people and families,
praised Dermot in an article called “The teacher who
inspired me”, from which we have been allowed to
reprint these extracts:
“My history teacher, Dermot Conway, taught
me that history is not a dry or dead subject at all,
it’s alive and fascinating. There were facts and dates
and names of battles to learn in order to get through
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