Tributes pour in for Melvyn Lillywhite, Deputy Head of St. John’s and man of the community

Melvyn Lillywhite, or Mr. Lillywhite as many of us knew him from our time at St. John’s, sadly passed away on Friday morning. Mr. Lillywhite’s involvement in a large number of groups within the Marlborough community meant he was many things to many people.

Perhaps most of us, though, will remember him as the ever calm, kind deputy head from our years at St. John’s School. Having spoken to a number of ex pupils and colleagues of Melvyn’s it is impossible not to be struck by the consistency of the respect and affection that people had for him.

Please feel free to add your own comments and tributes below.

In a statement from St. John’s School, Martin Cook, Senior Teacher and Director of Logistics said,

"Melvyn was a Deputy Head at St John’s from 1973-1997. He taught Geography and Careers, specialising particularly in working with groups of youngsters for whom the standard curriculum was difficult to manage.

Melvyn was a teacher and an individual with extremely high standards. He had high expectations of those he taught and of the colleagues with which he worked. As a young teacher in the room next door to Melvyn, I benefitted enormously from his experience, wisdom and guidance.  He was a very measured, calm man who had the ability to draw people together in the interests of achieving a common end. This always meant improving conditions for the young people he worked with.

Melvyn’s focus on young people’s issues continued out of school. As a former Chairman of Marlborough Area Development Trust and through his membership of Rotary, Melvyn encouraged other community organisations to continue the good work he started at St John’s.

Melvyn Lillywhite was a superb role model for what it means to be someone truly at the heart of the community in which he lives."

Former head teacher of St. John’s, John Price said of Mr. Lillywhite,

“He was one of the two or three most outstanding deputy heads I have ever come across, truly exceptional, universally respected by staff, students and parents. It’s terribly sad that Melvyn has gone, not least because it seemed he never had a day’s illness while he was at St. John’s, he was incredibly reliable. Thorough, fair, honest, always cheerful and authoritative without losing his temper.”

Mr. Price added that Mr. Lillywhite’s links with and work within the broader community were a great a help to St. John’s and to the community as a whole, and he commented on his tremendous experience and organisation.

Ron Evans who taught Geography at St. John’s from 1970-1997 moved to Marlborough from Essex around the same period as Mr Lillywhite. Although the two men didn’t know one another until their time at St. John’s, their wives Miriam and Jan used to play hockey together for Brentwood Ladies and were in hospital together giving birth to their sons Gareth and Ralph.

Ron said,

“Melvyn was probably the most genuine person I’ve ever met, and one of the fairest. He could discuss anything calmly and would always say what he felt without being overly critical. He was a great leader.”

John Marmion, Physical Education Teacher at St. John’s in the 1990s described Melvyn as,

“A thoroughly lovely man and a loving father. A big hearted man of the community. Genuinely lovely, always kind- a diamond guy.”

Jan Archard who taught Maths at St. John’s until her retirement this year commented,

“He was such a nice person, so encouraging. He had a lovely nature and a great sense of humour. He did so much good at St. John’s, but also with the Rotary. A great loss all round for the town.”

Just last week Jan was touched to receive a card from Mr. Lillywhite congratulating her on her retirement.

Helen Marmion who taught French and German at St. John’s in the 1990s said,

“Melvyn was just fantastic. Caring and nurturing with both staff and pupils. He was a lovely gentleman who had an intuitive sense of how you were feeling. He didn’t just hear you, he listened, and was genuinely interested in everybody. A real loss.”

Gwen Stuart who has been teaching Maths at St. John’s for 29 years said,

“Melvyn was a man of great integrity and compassion. Both students and colleagues at St. John’s will remember him with great affection for his sense of fairness, his calm approach and consideration for others”

Rosy Berry who taught French at St. John’s until 1997 said that Mr. Lillywhite was:

“Always firm, but always fair, one of the good guys.”

Other comments from staff and pupils include,

“A really kind man who had everyone’s best interested at heart.”

“He always said hello in the corridor and seemed to know who I was.”

“He always tried to make everything work well for everybody.”

“Very outgoing...” 

 “I don’t think I ever heard him shout at anyone in my whole time as a pupil, but he automatically had everyone’s respect. He never taught me but somehow seemed to know my name, along with everyone elses!”

“A lovely man.”

“The whole of Marlborough is indebted to him in one way or another.”

Please also see tributes from Mr Lillywhite's sons read at his memorial service, and those read by friends and collegues.