In Derek Saunder’s passing on 27 January 2024, the school has lost a true and generous friend who so embodied the motto Pour Bien Désirer.
Born in Battersea on 19 December 1937, Derek grew up in Marney Road and attended the Wix Lane Primary school. He remained at the parental home until his marriage to Valerie in December 1960. His steadfastness and regard for permanency was also apparent in his choice of a home for himself and his bride. He lived in Salcott Road, only minutes away from Emanuel, for the rest of his life, 42 years of which he shared with Valerie until her death in 2002.
He soon marked himself as a high achiever at the school, winning the end-of-year prize in Arts in 1951/52, playing in the Colts cricket team in 1952 and in the U15 rugby team.
Colts VI 1952, Derek is in the back row, third from the left
U15 1952-53, Derek is in the back row, third from the left
Unfortunately, this promising career path through his early school years was brought to a temporary but lengthy halt when he was diagnosed as having tuberculosis, a condition that involved an enforced absence lasting two years. The damage to his lungs and kidneys caused by the disease put paid to an early ambition aimed at becoming a travel guide and interpreter, reinforced by his excellent command of French. Undaunted, he returned to the school, established a wide circle of lifelong friends and quickly made up for the lost time. By 1956 he had become a prefect in Lyons House and, characteristically, walked off with the Parents Association Prize for service to the school in that same year.
A successful career in banking beckoned and it was while he was serving as an assistant manager at a branch of Lloyds that his innate shrewdness – and perhaps also his judgement of character – led to an episode which was re-enacted in last year’s television dramatisation of the disgraced Labour minister John Stonehouse’s criminal duplicity. Immediately prior to the Minister’s feigned death by drowning off a Miami beach, Stonehouse had approached the bank with the aim of transferring a large sum of money from a business account to his personal account. Derek astutely felt that there was something amiss and refused the request but was subsequently overruled by the manager, the result of which soon became evident when the very much alive Minister turned up in Australia.
Although he and Valerie had no children, his extended family was of paramount importance to him. The annual barbecue hosted by his cousin, Ann, was a firm fixture as were other family celebrations such as Christmas, including the last one only weeks before he died. His characteristic generosity was greatly appreciated by all four of Ann’s grandchildren.
Music, too, played a very important part in Derek’s life and his prowess as a pianist prompted an atypical self-indulgence in the shape of a grand piano. But his interests spilled over into a great number of other directions as well. He was an active member of several important committees including those of ‘The Zoological Society of London’ and ‘The NHS Foundation Trust’. But it was first and foremost the wellbeing of Emanuel that commanded so much of his time and attention. In 2008 he made a generous donation to the school in support of the new library, facilitating the acquisition of a great number of books. That same year also saw the inauguration of a 6th form Humanities award – the ‘Derek Saunders Prize’.
He was a consummate raconteur and broadcast many witty, informative and extremely well structured talks on the local radio station which were invariably well received. Although poor health towards the end of his life impacted on his mobility he always maintained regular contact with his many friends, especially those from school. Meeting up at events such as Dacre Day gave these same friends further opportunities for a convivial ‘catch-up’ until even they were no longer possible. But Derek was always at the other end of a ‘phone and an hour spent in that way, primarily in a listening capacity, was always time well spent.
David Parton (OE1951-57), friend