Mr Oliver Ridge (Former staff 1964-2013)

11 May 2020

We are sad to announce that Mr Oliver Ridge (Former staff 1964-2013) passed away on 3 May 2020.

Ol taught at Stowe from 1964-1969 and returned as Head of Physics from 1976-1996. He was a truly outstanding physicist with an incredibly sharp mind and encyclopaedic knowledge in many scientific and practical fields.

Regarded by many Stoics as a dedicated and formidable schoolmaster, he helped to inspire many young minds and was regarded as the font of knowledge when it came to all areas of Physics. He was particularly gifted in the fields of electronics and computing – for many years after his retirement from teaching he worked part time in the ICT Department building most of the schools computers. He retired from Stowe in 2013.

Always ready to help out a colleague and so generous with his time, Ol was held in high esteem by members of the academic staff. He was also the first port of call for mechanical advice for he was a gifted mechanic who loved driving fast cars and riding powerful motorbikes. An accomplished musician who enjoyed playing cello, he was a regular in the school orchestra.

Ol was a very modest man which was all the more remarkable given his many significant talents. He will be greatly missed by family and friends but never forgotten for he was definitely one of a kind.

James Tearle, Head of Science