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Obituaries
I am very sad to hear this news. I was
taught French by Denis Ogan when I was
in Divisions (in 1971) and he was one of
the finest schoolmasters I have ever had.
His French accent was immaculate, and
very clear.
Iain Strachan (1971-1977)
Denis was one of my favourite teachers
while I was at Merchant Taylors’. I studied
Modern Languages and was taught
German by Denis who always made the
learning experience enjoyable. I speak
German to this day and it served me well
during my working life.
Gerald Mahon (1955-1961)
Although I was not one of Denis’s
pupils, I can vouch for the respect in which
he was held by the boys of the 1970’s,
when he was head of Modern Languages.
Denis interviewed me briefly in French for
various exams, and I remember how he
was both testing of the candidate, yet kind
and interested in bringing out the best you
could offer in your allocated 15 minutes.
I think Martin Rowson produced a
cartoon, which appeared in the Taylorian
at the time, along with other SCR
contemporary stalwarts such as Harris
Thorning, and “Daddy” Tillott, that
accurately captured Denis’s demeanour.
His passing is a sad milestone.
Jonathan Duck (1974-1978)
I remember his presence in the school
when I was there in the late 1950s. Though
he never taught me he was one of those
teachers who was respected and who in
his quiet way did far more than those of us
who were boys at the school ever realised.
Rev’d Michael Moxon (1955-1960)
I remember him well and owe a lot of
my language skills (I taught German and
French for 34 years) to his teaching.
Anthony C Payne (1952-1959)
Denis Ogan had the challenge
of teaching me French, both in the
Remove/5th Form and in my abortive
attempts to pursue the subject to A level.
Despite his rather fearsome appearance,
generously proportioned eyebrows in
full sail, he was a kind, patient, good-
humoured and inspirational teacher.
In those days we studied French-with-
Literature to O Level, and this was
a course that I remember with great
fondness. Denis introduced us to Ionesco’s
“The Killer” (Tueur Sans Gages), which I
suspect would have been a trial for most
native speakers, let alone a bunch of
unruly English adolescents. He brought it
to life, and whilst the linguistic subtleties
escaped me soon after the examination,
the delights of absurdism remained long
after, and only a couple of years ago I
sought out a copy of the text which Denis
had brought to life, to enjoy it again. It was
a key episode in my education; one which
really has had a lifelong influence.
Denis had his own particular style when
handing back marked work. He would
address the hapless student in tones that
suggested just the merest pity for our
benighted state: in my case the regular
pronouncement was simply, “Law, you are
an idiot.” I like to think that the words were
said as fondly as they sounded brutal – but
then, I could be wrong…
We used to play “Quad Soccer” in the
Quad that was enclosed by the workshop,
Lun, sports hall and Common Room. In
my L6 days I played in goal for a team of
classicists named “Woolley’s Wonders.”
We made it through to the final, I think,
against the staff team. Denis scored an
excellent goal: I can still picture the ball,
swerving away to my right, eluding the
reach of my full-length dive (that hurt…),
securing them victory. Sadly, I think
it was his swan song as he suffered a
rather painful pulled muscle: I actually
had the next lesson after lunch with him,
and he came in looking rather unhappy
despite my admiring comments about his
scorching shot. It was an impressive way
for him to conclude that particular career.
I remember him with great fondness;
he was one of a number of Common
Room members of that era whose
example and inspiration led me towards
a career in teaching (albeit with the extra
‘hat’ of Chaplain – I’m not entirely sure
where Denis stood in that respect!).
He was an inspiration; someone
who drew ready admiration but who
also allowed us, as we grew more
senior, to be treated more as fellow
labourers in the classroom and even
to a degree as friends. He is sadly
missed, but perpetually and very
thankfully remembered.
Rev’d Andrew Law (1974-1979)
Chaplain
Malvern College
It is 60 years last month that I first
walked up the school drive in a blanket
of snow with my older brother and
Denis was our second House Master,
the senior House Master having
taught our father at Charterhouse
Square. Not only was Denis my House
Master for the remaining six and a half
years he was also my form master in
the Modern 5th. A great Master and a
lovely man to know, especially when
he came to many of our age group
dinners at Durrants.
I will never forget him. God Bless
Denis, or ‘Ben’ as we used to call him
at school!
Colin L Bywater (1955-1961)
Summer
2015