2012 Annual Report - Jesus College - University of Cambridge

OBITUARIES I Jesus College Annual Report 2012 143
PEGLER Alan Francis (1938) died on 18 March 2011 aged 91.
Alan Pegler was born on 16 April 1920 in London, the son of F. E. Pegler (1908).
Educated at Radley College he came up in 1938 to read Law, but never settled into
Cambridge life and determined to leave. During the Second World War he served in the
Fleet Air Arm before injury led to his discharge. In 1946, he joined his father’s firm,
Northern Rubber Co, and served as chairman from 1949 to 1953. His real interest,
however, was in steam trains; his passion took over his life and took all his inheritance,
but more than anyone else he was responsible for saving the Ffestiniog Railway and the
Flying Scotsman. After the money had gone, he reinvented himself as an entertainer and
regaled his audiences with tales of the “old girl”; as the Flying Scotsman was known.
The Chairman of the Ffestiniog Railway Society, Howard Wilson, said of him; “Alan was
a pioneer and an inspiration to the railway preservation movement throughout the
world. We owe him a great debt of gratitude.” He was appointed O.B.E. in 2006.
He married Susan Bendell in 1940 with whom he had a son. The marriage was
dissolved and he married Lois Reith in 1946; Lois died in 1948. He married Pamela
Marshall in 1952, they had a daughter. Pamela died in 1956. He married Pauline Graves
in 1957; the marriage was dissolved. His life-long friend was Petrina Derrington.
PENNY, Thomas Gillard (1954) died on 7 November 2011 aged 77.
Tom Penny was born on 15 April 1934 in Tiverton, the nephew of Penny, W. M. (1903)
and Penny, C. J. (1913). Educated at Winchester College, he served for two years with the
Somerset Light Infantry, one of which was spent as a commissioned officer in Malaya.
He came up to his uncles’ college in 1954 to read History and Law and graduated BA
1957; MA 1961. He joined a Tiverton firm of solicitors in 1960 and later became a
partner. He stepped down from the firm in the early 1980s and worked as a consultant
for Bevan Ashford (now Bevan Brittan). In 1999 he set up in sole practice and was kept
busy serving his local community. He took an active interest in rural life and served as
Clerk to the Tiverton Almshouse Trust, as well as being one time President of the
Mid Devon Show.
He married Joan Elizabeth Alexandra Flower in 1964 and they had three daughters and
one son.
PHILP, Arthur David Trevelyan (1949) died on 26 October 2011 aged 82.
David Philp was born on 15 May 1929 in London. Educated at Clifton College, Bristol, he
came up to Jesus in 1949 following National Service. He read Modern & Medieval
Languages, graduating BA 1952; MA 1957. Whilst at college his courage and capacity for
hard work were noted. After leaving Cambridge he went to Spain for three years where
he taught English and made many friends. When he returned to England he worked for
the Ockenden Trust (the trust brings displaced people to the UK for education, training
and settlement). He then spent a short time sailing, crewing and delivering a boat,
before becoming a farmer in North Cornwall. We are grateful to his wife, Sue, for
providing the following further information:
“While farming he taught French at the local primary school and coached many
children for their O levels and A levels. In the summer the house was full of the children
of our many foreign friends, Spanish, Norwegian, French and German. He taught many
to sail. His main hobbies were piano and bassoon playing, languages and sailing. After