Life Stories
John William Fidler
John William Fidler (1958 BA Modern History) died on 9 May 2021 aged 84.
John was born in Haltwhistle, Northumberland in 1936. During World War Two, John started infant school early because his mother was a primary school teacher, and his father was serving with the Army overseas. He subsequently attended Carlisle Grammar School where he became Head of School. Keble College offered a place to read History and clearly preferred undergraduates to complete their National Service before starting their degree. John thought this would mean spending time in a remote location carrying out routine administration and slowly losing the skills he would need at Oxford.
Shortly after joining the RAF John was selected for navigator training and sent to Winnipeg, Canada. As a newly commissioned officer, he crossed the Atlantic in style and considerable comfort on the Ile de France. He was always grateful to the British taxpayer for funding such a memorable, well catered voyage, an experience he returned to following retirement. John explored the USA and Canada before taking up his place at Keble.
Return to academic study after National Service was eased by the intellectual rigours of navigator training. John made the most of what Oxford had to offer, learning to fly with the University Air Squadron. An active participant in a variety of competitive sports, he ran for both Keble and Cumberland.
After staying in Oxford to complete a DipEd, John’s first job as a History master was at Lancaster Royal Grammar School, a state grammar school with a small boarding house. This, it turned out, was serendipitous. John loved Lancaster, the school, and what it offered to pupils. Like him, they were academically able and mostly from modest backgrounds. Quickly establishing himself at the school, he married Brenda whom he had met on holiday in Austria, and they had three daughters. Both made lifelong friends at LRGS. John never left LRGS. Known for setting high expectations for his pupils, many boys left with excellent History results. He fulfilled his Volunteer Reserve commitment by establishing an RAF section in the school’s Combined Cadet Force. A high number were selected for RAF Flying Scholarships.
After a long and successful teaching career at LRGS, John retired and took up a post as Admissions Tutor at the school. Evident enthusiasm for LRGS and a thorough understanding of what it offered, made him an excellent and effective ambassador for the school. The U3A provided further variety, and he published a number of books about the history of Lancaster.
After Brenda’s untimely death, John resumed his travels and enjoyed many foreign holidays, frequently meeting fellow-travellers with an LRGS connection. Gaudies provided an enjoyable way to maintain a connection with Keble. A watercolour of the college hung in his dining room.
Covid restrictions meant John’s funeral had to be socially distanced. Consequently, few of his many friends and colleagues were able to attend. A memorial afternoon tea held at LRGS following year allowed us all to gather to remember him fondly. John is survived by his three daughters, their husbands, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Kindly provided by his daughter