James Laurence Good Laurie,known as'Lopsy'to his schoolmates,died peacefully, aged 82 on 6 March 2001. Laurie, lived in what is now Botswana where schools were unknown and from where it took nearly two days and two nights, by train, to reach Kearsney,but we loved it! There he joined some 75 other boys who were privileged to do their schooling in beautiful surroundings in Sir Liege Hulett's country mansion. Laurie was a good scholar and also a good sportsman, playing cricket and rugby for the first teams and he was no mean athlete. During World War 2 he served as a captain in signals in the SAAF. Later he did well in the insurance industry holding managerial positions in several prominent companies. As a hobby, he liked working with wood and was very skilful. In all, a great product of Kearsney. Henry James Oram Johan Gerber Henry Oram was born in Bushbuckridge and grew up in Ingwavuma, where his father worked at a missionary hospital. He grew to love the bush, and there his commitment to wildlife was first engraved on his character. Henry passionately believed in what he was doing He matriculated at Kearsney College and then wentfarming for a short time. In 1987 he joined the then Natal Parks Board and was stationed on the South Coast where he started his game ranger career. He also served in Mkhuze and Hluhluwe Game Reserves. In 1992 is married Gail and was posted to St Lucia and during 1999 he moved to the post of District Conservation Officer, doing all the conservation work between the Umfolozi and Msinene rivers outside the formal protected areas. It was during these later years that he became more and more involved with the combating oF 164 illegal fishing on Lake St Lucia, and he was in the process offormalising an already successful Anti-Poaching Unit,when he was killed outside Mtubatuba on Friday evening, 4 May. Henry passionately believed in what he was doing and never bowed down to any popular notion if it was against his beliefs. He led junior staff by example and supported his senior staffwith total loyalty and with endless energy. His colleagues describe him as dedicated, deep thinking,innovative, proactive, loyal and considerate. He never lacked in courage and was recently awarded a bravery award after following an armed poacher into a thicket to arrest him. Gail,Calvin,Sean and Matthew could not have wished for a more devoted husband and father. Owen Griffiths(1957 - 1961) Owen died suddenly of a heart attack in his home in Guildford,England on 29th September 1999. He came to Kearsney from Welkom in the Free State where his father was a Methodist Minister. He was in Junior House under Richard Best and then Finningley under Mr Tedder and later Mr Hopkins. He excelled in swimming and rugby, being the school swimming captain in 1961 and was one ofthe only two players who played all the matches for the first fifteen that season, narrowly missing selection for Natal Schools in the front row position. He also won the shot-put that year. He was a prefect with Derrick Adendorff,Don Leach and Jimmy Muir and was also a bugler in the school band,which was then coached by Peter Metcalf. After leaving Kearsney,he obtained a B Econ at Natal University,and married Noralee Shilling whom he met during his student days. After joining the Goldfields ofSA Company he worked in the UK and then decided to emigrate after the Soweto Riots of 1976 .He held various executive positions in England and Scotland until his unexpected death. He left awife and two children, but sadly his son,John died 18 months later ofa brain tumour,and John's son, Owen's first grandchild was born two weeks thereafter. Owen was a quiet unassuming person with a lovely sense of humour and a great sense of loyalty and fair play. MERVIN GRIFFITHS
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