Teacher

Teacher

Born: February 26, 1927 Died: November 3, 2013

Dereck Aloysius Fowles, who has died aged 86, was a popular teacher of history and modern studies and a former rector of St Margaret's High in Airdrie. In the 1950s, he taught at the Abbey School, Fort Augustus, impressing his pupils with his enthusiasm and dedication. He then became head of history at Notre Dame High School in Glasgow and deputy head of St Patrick's in Coatbridge.

Brought up in Bristol, he was schooled at first by an order of nuns before being sent to the Christian Brothers. He joined the Navy in 1944 as a midshipman, serving in the Australian Pacific, where he and his comrades were attacked by Kamikaze raiders at Okinawa.

Demobbed in 1947, he studied English and history at Bristol University and found time to work at the Bristol Old Vic, studying stage management, production, direction and lighting. In his demob suit and porkpie hat, he happened to meet off-duty nurse Sybil Grace Sparey at Brights department store in the city and, although his hair was dishevelled and he looked a mess, Sybil and Dereck hit it off and were engaged three weeks later.

He graduated with BA Honours in history and English in 1949 and his first teaching post was at Prior Park, Bath. After a year, Mr Fowles and his new wife Sybil then sailed for the Caribbean and a new job at the elite Harrison College in Barbados.

At first, the couple lived first in the headmaster's house before moving to a little house on the beach. Mr Fowles directed Hamlet at the college where one of his pupils was the cricketer Sir Gary Sobers. He also joined the Barbados Theatrical Society, playing an ugly sister part in Cinderella. It was a busy social life, with sailing and water polo.

Returning to the UK, he taught at Liverpool and then Sunderland and then in 1956 went to the Abbey School, Fort Augustus, where he revolutionised the already long school tradition of Gilbert and Sullivan and Shakespeare. In the spring of 1957, he was driving to Inverness and, at Urquhart Bay, saw what he described as a hump and a smaller object like the head of a seal. He was convinced it was the Loch Ness Monster.

He left the Abbey School in 1963 to become head of history at Notre Dame and in 1974 was at St Patrick's in Coatbridge as deputy head before becoming rector at St Margaret's. Frank Berry, who would succeed him in 1992, remembered he was always ahead of his time in curriculum development, making learning child-centred. He also pioneered innovative teaching methods, setting up an effective guidance system.

He also motivated staff, students, parents, local businesses and the bank to raise money to buy the dilapidated Auchterawe House on the outskirts of Fort Augustus, to which staff and students came to experience the magnificent scenery. The aim was to help them grow as persons and become confident learners.

Tony Hannah, one of the children brought up from Airdrie to the Highlands, said he felt like one of the lucky ones. "We would mainly be found in the hills around Auchterawe," he said. "I remember a lot of walking and getting to recognise the wildlife and tree types. We also had study time in the house and everyone chipped in, made all the meals, did the cleaning and looked after the place.

"It was my first time seeing a deer, raptors and red squirrels - you tend not to see too many of them in Airdrie. It was very much centred on the out of doors and enjoying the area. We even helped out local residents by clearing the streams of debris as most of the houses got their water from the passing streams, all in the name of being good neighbours." Mr Hannah was so taken by his Highland experience that he moved up there permanently and is now a community policeman.

After his retirement, Mr Fowles, who died at home in Drymen, channelled his immense energies and talents into Buchanan Community Council and his position as chairman of the Lomond and Stirling LEADER, a European Union community initiative for co-operation among rural areas. He was awarded the MBE in the 2010 Honours list for his services to the community in the Forth Valley and Lomond Local Action Group.

His spare time was devoted to fresh water fishing — trout and salmon - and he remained a sailor all his life, his favourite places being the Greek islands and the Clyde basin.

Along with Sybil, he is survived by five children, 11 grandchildren and one great grandchild.