Philip Stevenson 1935-2023

Philip Hugh Victor Stevenson (PGCE 1972), who has died aged 87, was a greatly respected secondary school teacher, and an inspiration to students in Barbados, Trinidad and Nigeria.

Born in the rural parish of Saint Lucy, Barbados, in 1935, the first six years of his life were filled with poverty and destitution. Despite this challenging start in life, the young Philip was a promising student. He performed well in his studies at primary and secondary school - and with the bat and ball at his local cricket club.

After brief stints as a primary school teacher on the island, he seized the opportunity to emigrate to England in 1955, joining thousands of immigrants from across the Caribbean in what is referred to as the Windrush Generation. ‘Phil’ or ‘Steve’, as he was popularly known, was a fitter and aircraft electrician in the Royal Air Force for three years, serving at RAF Melksham in Wiltshire and RAF Gutersloh in Germany, before enrolling at King’s College London, where he graduated with a BA (History) degree with honours, in 1964.

In 1965, he set sail for Trinidad, where he became a history master at the island’s then leading school, Queen’s Royal College, settling into the role very quickly, and going on to become head of its history department in 1966. It was during this period in Trinidad that he married his childhood sweetheart, Marva, in 1966. Their two children, John and Christine, soon followed.

Feeling the need to upgrade his qualifications and advance his teaching career, Phil left Trinidad in 1971 for Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University, to undertake and complete the Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course in 1972. He always spoke fondly of being a 'Fitzbilly' during his time at Cambridge, which also included teaching practice at the Leys School.

Phil and his family returned to the Caribbean, this time to Barbados, where Phil taught History and English at the Coleridge & Parry School from 1972 to 1977. With itchy feet and a yearning to live in Africa with his family, Philip journeyed to Nigeria, joining the staff of one of northern Nigeria’s most prestigious schools, Government College Keffi, as a History and English master. At Keffi, he became a popular staffer, adding to his portfolio the roles of housemaster, director of studies, cricket master – and from 1981 to 1984, Vice-Principal.

Returning to Barbados in 1984, he taught history (for a second time) at Coleridge & Parry School for the last portion of his teaching career, retiring in 1999.

He was a family man, a keen photographer and bibliophile - and a music aficionado with jazz and the classics at the top of the list.

He is survived by his son John, and five grandchildren.