Bill Gray (Former staff 1986 - 2008)

We are sad to inform our alumni of the passing of Bill Gray, former Head of Physics at Brentwood.

Bill taught at the school between 1986 and 2008, and was part of a cohort who helped bring IB to Brentwood. He was also a great supporter of the DofE scheme, joining expeditions in his campervan with his dog, acting as staff chef and also as assessor or supervisor on many trips. He will be known to several of the longer-serving staff and many Old Brentwoods.

Please read below Bill's obituary, written by Geoff Churn, whose mother, Alison Harker, was Bill's civil partner for 30 years. 

William Malcolm Gray was born in Guildford, Surrey to a military family. His childhood was spent on military bases in the South of England and in Malta with Royal Marine Commander father Thomas, mother Millicent and older sister Di. As a child he enjoyed daily swims in the med and much den building back in England.

Following the untimely death of his father Bill attended Charterhouse School where he thrived both academically and on the sports field, captaining the school football and cricket teams and ultimately as Head of School. After a year teaching at a missionary school in Busoga College, Uganda he went on to read physics at Trinity College, Oxford. Once again he excelled beyond academia, captaining both college football and cricket teams, whilst embarking on his lifelong love of choral singing – joining his sister Di in the Oxford Harmonic Choir.

Post graduation Bill taught physics for 14 years at Sevenoaks School before moving to Brentwood to head the Physics Department. He strived to make his teaching relevant and interesting and was continually searching for innovation in the department and its curriculum. His encouraging and chairmanly leadership style later led to his appointment as head of Science, a post he held until his retirement.

Pupils fondly remember both his enthusiasm for physics and a challenging teaching style which sought to get the best from each student. Those who did not study physics will also recall the iconic presence in the school car park of his commuter vehicle of choice – the VW Campervan. At Brentwood he served as a school football referee and coached U13 to U16 school football and cricket teams.

Throughout his teaching career sport played a huge role in Bill’s life as a player, captain and chairman of local cricket clubs in Sevenoaks and Warley. Never one to perform below his best, when a broken arm finally compromised his ability to keep wicket he turned to cycling - spending hours on his bike exploring the lanes of Essex.

Bill’s other great love was music. He sung in choirs throughout his life and curated an extensive, if slightly highbrow, collection of CDs. It was whilst singing for the Hutton & Shenfield Choral Society that he met Alison, mother to two Old Brentwoodians, who was to become his partner for the rest of his life.

Theirs was a content and happy partnership – filled with mutual support, and a shared love of music, choral singing, food, campervan holidays and gardening. When not tending the neat and ordered rows of his veg plot, Bill devoted huge energy to assisting pupils with expeditions for the Duke of Edinburgh Awards and walking the length and breadth of England and Scotland accompanied by faithful black Labrador, Tolley.

Bill is survived by Alison and a cast of nephews and surrogate grandchildren whose live and progress he keenly followed in particular their sporting, musical of D of E adventures. They remember Bill as a kind, conscientious and gentle man who perhaps cared more for others than he did for himself. This was a man who trod lightly on the world but, in his own kind and gentle way, had an immensely positive impact on innumerable friends, family and perhaps above all, the pupils he taught with such care, grace and diligence - whether they recognised it or not.