Chris Urwin (Staff, 1960-96) died in November, 2025, aged 90. Son of a vicar in Brownhills, his secondary education was at KES Lichfield and then St. John’s, Leatherhead. He then attended Leeds University, where he took a degree in Latin, Greek and Ancient History, followed by a Certificate in Education at Birmingham University. After two years of national service, spent in Malaysia and Singapore, Chris then joined the staff at King’s in 1960, as an assistant in what was then a three-man Classics department. Eleven years on, he was appointed Head of the Department, in which role he continued until his retirement in 1996.

Thirty-six years at one school suggests that Chris enjoyed his stint at King’s, and this was very much reinforced by the range of activities that he got involved with. Fully committed to the teaching of classics in the lower school, he also achieved excellent results with the minority of students who chose to take Latin at O level/GCSE, and then with his very select group of A level Latinists. After a number of years as a successful form master, he then took on the role of master i/c the sixth form common room when the ‘Rock Block’ opened in 1969, a task to which he brought his engaging humour very effectively. He was also extremely active in organising overseas trips, in the early days primarily to classical locations, but also in latter years also to France. Finally, he played a significant role in the staff room as representative of the main grammar school teachers’ union for many years. One of a group of men who devoted most of their teaching lives to the school in the second half of the twentieth century, Chris will be remembered with gratitude and respect by several generations of King’s pupils.

NB Six former long-standing colleagues attended Chris’ funeral - Mike Aiers (1971-2002), Alan Batchelor (1968-2005), Alan Brown (1974-2004), David Hill (1970-2003), Alan Reed (1972-96), plus Ian Wilson.