NICK CLARK-LOWES (died 2000)

D.N. Clark-Lowes, who taught chemistry at Haberdashers' from 1963 to 1980, died last July at the age of 88.

Educated at Oundle, where he was Head Boy, and at Balliol College, Oxford, Nick had a mind to be ordained but found he could not accept the 39 Articles. Instead he chose to become a school master.

His early career was soon overtaken by the war. Commissioned into the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, he was evacuated from Dunkirk and later saw action in the Western Desert. Speaking to the boys about his experiences in North Africa, attention was always riveted when he spoke of the time a shell went between his legs and took the legs off the man behind him. Although he undoubtedly showed great courage and determination in the war, he spoke of it only occasionally and, once it was over, was entirely forward-looking, focusing on his teaching career.

In 1941 Nick was married to Audrey, the daughter of his Prep. School headmaster. By the end of the war he had one child and by 1953 he and Audrey had a family of four sons. In 1946 he joined Shrewsbury School where he is remembered for his extraordinary toughness; a man apparently oblivious to heat or cold, a leader of expeditions and camps in the hills and mountains. He rose to the position of Senior Science Master.

In 1954 Nick was persuaded to take over the headmastership of Hillbrow School, his father-in-law's Prep. School at Featherstone Castle in Northumberland. Despite hard and devoted work, it was difficult to make a success of a small family-run prep. school (Hillbrow had 45 boys). Such schools were becoming a thing of the past by the end of the 1950s and in 1963 Nick moved to Haberdashers' Aske's School where he taught Chemistry and Religious Education for the rest of his career. His two younger sons attended Haberdashers.

His lack of interest in matters sartorial led the boys to give him various more or less affectionate nicknames. He was an excellent teacher though unusual; having spilt a few drops of acid on the demonstration bench he would be seen absent-mindedly wiping them up with his handkerchief.

Equally, stains on the ceiling and frequent experiments with highly toxic gases would struggle to pass the present-day health and safety regulations. Scores of Haberdashers will remember Nick with affection, in particular Rear Admiral Tony Higham who helped prepare a number of these exciting demonstrations. He was a man who always saw the good side of mankind and this will be the lasting memory of colleagues who taught with this remarkable man.

Always a Christian, he was fascinated by the realms of science and religion and their interaction and became increasingly interested in psychic events; some would say this sprang from his encounters with ghosts in the battlemented towers of the Norman Featherstone Castle. For ten years he was librarian of the Society for Psychical Research. Asked about the role of religion in his life he replied that it was very central. He was more concerned with the upbringing of children than the teaching of chemistry. He liked to think of himself as more a schoolmaster than a teacher.