TRIBUTES KEN FISH A BROTHER'S TRIBUTE There was obviously a"Mr Chips" hidden deep in this Fish,for he was quite unabashed about being his own person, eccentric if you prefer to use that term. Dennis Cole tells of his happy habit of wearing whatever unclaimed lost property fitted him during his years as Finningley housemaster, and of his parking one ofhis new cars on a forbidden stretch of lawn, doors left open for anyone to sit in it and thus share his joys of ownership. Material possessions never ranked high in his scale ofvalues! Among Ken's many contributions to the school, the founding of the Exploration Society probably gave best expression to his limitless enthusiasm. He introduced members to Lesotho and various game parks,while his driving habits were never dangerous, he sometimes found it difficult to concentrate on navigating mountain passes while simultaneously pointing out intricate geological features. Tales ofhis other exploits while coaching sport, playing for the Staff XI, and falling asleep at Staff Meetings, brought long lost memories to those who heard them at the Memorial service at Kearsney. A year-long struggle with rheumatic fever earlier in his teens had seen him classified C-3.So when he left school he immediately signed up for a punishing course at the end of which he was rated A-1. He represented the University of Natal at both rugby and cricket. When the Nationalist Party Government's policies for African education became impossibly restrictive. Ken's convictions led him to accept Stanley Osier's invitation to leave one Methodist Institution for another, Kearsney. Ofall his convictions,one ofthe most prominent was the need to preach the Gospel ofJesus Christ, Ken teas a Christian gentleman to hisfingertips andaglmving example ofone teho put his preaching into practice. so that he was always happy to be in the pulpit, even up to the last weeks ofhis life. On our rare visits to Ken's home,we marvelled at his ability to bring up his four daughters through a discipline, which seemed to be based entirely on humour and teasing. All this has been about Ken. Readers who lived through his Kearsney years will know more clearly than I that Stella was more than half of the story at all times. She was the perfect partner, and those of us who saw them during the last eight months of Ken's life saw this so clearly as he was forced to lean all the more heavily on her. It must be an awesome thing to contemplate a life without his unique companionship, but we are encouraged that Stella has so many totally happy memories to fill lonely days. Tony Weaver,one ofthe sonsin-law,writes"A gentle,deeply spiritual,caring giant ofa man who touched the lives of all who knew him. Ken,we will hold you in our hearts forever,and especially think of you whenever we are in those high mountain cathedrals you loved so dearly." STAN FISH 161
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTc3MDU5Nw==