Former Higher Education Adviser John Morris has passed away.
Monday 01 April 2019
The Club has been informed of the sad news that John Morris has passed away after a short period in hospital. John was employed as Assistant Careers adviser in 1998 and was later Higher Education Adviser until 2010 when he retired.John Morris, joined HCS in 1998. He established an excellent Careers Department and worked tirelessly on behalf of the school and its pupils and many owe him a huge debt of gratitude for securing them a place at the university of their choice. It is to his credit that well over 90% of HCS students are successful in achieving their first choice university. John's passion was cricket: he is a qualified coach, represented Herefordshire over 50s, was chairman of the Marches Cricket League for five years and is Life Member of Kandy Cricket Club in Sri Lanka.Our thoughts are with his wife Carol and daughter Laura OH 1991-1998 at this sad time.John Morris – a tribute Looking back over the people whom I have been fortunate enough to work with at HCS, I regard John as being one of the most dedicated, conscientious colleagues whom I have worked alongside. A colleague who genuinely made a very significant difference to so many students. Thinking back, I imagine that our first conversation in the Common Room would have been about either Economics or Current Affairs – topics which both of us were very much interested in. However, I soon came to realise that John had an encyclopaedic knowledge of Careers which he used so effectively to the benefit of so many students at HCS. A passing comment in a school corridor mentioning that a certain student was interested in pursuing a particular course – or an aside in the Common Room - would immediately result in a list of possible courses and recommendations – John’s knowledge and passion for Careers education was truly second to none. Many OH’s will recollect the time and attention which John gave to helping them find the right course and the right institution – going above and beyond what his role required. Without a doubt, John’s dedication and wise counsel helped many students find the right career path. He always gave up time on and after results day to advise students as to the best course of action. I clearly remember one visit to Cambridge Colleges with John and some Sixth Form Economists – the interest which John took and his ability to remember names and contacts many months later was remarkable. John was also a passionate sportsman – he loved cricket and football but was equally happy sitting in the Common Room discussing the state of the world! A great supporter of Common Room events, I vividly remember the send-off which John received on his retirement in December 2010 with the novelty cake which we had bought – with a photograph of John on the top! So many OH’s owe John a great debt of gratitude for his service and commitment to HCS. He leaves a lasting legacy which many of us will be unable to match – as he directly guided the life paths of so many of our students. What a wonderful legacy that is. Mark JacksonJohn Morris – a tributeJohn Morris joined HCS in 1998, the third professional Careers and Higher Education advisor I appointed during my 18 years as Headmaster. He was already well known in the careers’ world as a regional director of ISCO (the Independent Schools Careers Organisation). I was fortunate in my choice and could not have made a better appointment: as an ISCO advisor John had a good knowledge of local schools in the independent sector, and as an HCS parent an understanding of how HCS worked.As Head of Careers/HE, John made significant contributions to Heads of Department meetings. Having built up his department, he master-minded the move of careers to the Zimmerman Building. He regularly arranged careers and Higher Education events both within the school and at a number of universities. But, above all, over 13 years, John enhanced the university and career prospects of hundreds of students, helping ensure that over 90% of them gained their choice university place. Two generations of Old Herefordians owe a considerable debt of gratitude to his untiring efforts to place them on the right course.But John was more than a consummate professional to whom staff and students could approach for sound advice. For as an active cricketer, who was also hugely knowledge about the history of the game, he was a man after my own heart. He played to a good standard for the county seniors as well as local teams, his loopy spinners enticing and fooling many a batsman. He umpired at Wyeside, notably at the girls’ schools cricket tournament. He administered the Marches cricket league. And he was never more grateful than when I gave him time off to undertake a cricket tour of Sri Lanka, thereby becoming a life member of the renowned Kandy Cricket Club. In his retirement, to my great satisfaction, John furthered opportunities for cricketers of the White Rose County.May John Morris rest in peace and rise in cricketing glory.Howard Tomlinson