Peter Fearnley 1912 – 1998
From the Parish News – May 1998
Only two years after the loss of his wife Audrey, Peter died peacefully at All Hallow Hospital on 23rd March, aged 86. Peter cared for Audrey following her stroke for the last seven years of her life, when she became completely dependent on him.Teaching was virtually his life, starting at the Crome Boys School in Norwich, and apart from the period of the war when he joined the Air Force and was an instructor in Radio Theory at RAF Cranwell, he continued teaching in Norwich until his retirement, having returned to Lakenham Secondary Modern Boys School, which was to be amalgamated with the girls department and the Hewitt Grammar, to become to famous Hewitt Comprehensive School While he was there he became head of the department for Special Needs education, which catered for around 20% of the less able pupils. He also taught his favourite subjects, science and O level maths, at evening classes.
He was always an active man, and if he was not helping with the family domestics or gardening, he was keen on woodwork, making furniture and bits and pieces for the home and garden. His electronics and radio skills, together with his imaginative inventiveness, were obviously passed on to John, becoming assets which have been useful in his contracting business. While the family was living at Saxlingham Nethergate, he regularly cycled to work in Norwich to save on bus fares, arriving home quite late when he was taking evening classes.
In his last two years he managed to relax a little more, and enjoyed two holidays with John and Rosemary and their-families; the first in North Scotland, which took him for the first time on a motorway, and last October he journeyed to the Lake District. Unfortunately he had a fall at home late one night, just before Christmas, when he bruised his ribs; this proved quite a shock to his system. After Christmas he went to All Hallows for a short spell to help him recover, but his confidence seemed to be affected and he returned there, with visits becoming more regular. Eventually he suffered a mild stroke which seemed to take away his will to live.
A well-attended service at Norwich Crematorium showed that he was a much-loved personality. Our condolences are extended to John, Rosemary, Robert and Rachael.