It is with great regret that I pass on the news that Richard Fitzjohn (Hampden 1984) died on 15th September 2024, having been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the end of July.

Richard was a Deputy Head Boy of the school and went on to Worcester College, Oxford. He then forged a career in human resources where he became widely known as the “go-to” man to sort out industries and companies with problems: during his career he worked for Ford’s at Dagenham, Scottish and Newcastle Breweries, Powerhouse, Royal Mail, Thames Water, and Homes England. His final job was at Birmingham City Council - where he had been appointed to lead the Equal Pay programme (to resolve the issues that had led to the Council being placed in "special measures"). In 2023 he had also been elected as Councillor on the Wantage Town Council, in Oxfordshire.

Richard was not a member of the Old Aylesburians, but will be known to many Old Boys. He was a “Classics” scholar (taking Latin and Greek at school), a rugby player in his youth, and fanatically keen on cricket.

Should anyone wish to, there is a donations page in Richard’s memory, for research into pancreatic cancer:

https://togetherinmemory.pancreaticcancer.org.uk/in-memory/Richard-Fitzjohn