Tributes to 'wonderful' Dewsbury teacher who was a role model for all

Michael was born in Dewsbury and grew up in Fir Cottage, Ravensthorpe, with his younger sister, Valerie, and their mum and dad, Gertrude and Horace, who ran a painting and decorating business.

He was an old boy of the former Wheelwright Grammar School, Dewsbury.

Michael met his future wife, Mary (then Medley) in December 1952 at a dance at the ICI recreational rooms, Huddersfield, when he was home on leave from the RAF, where he was doing his National Service.

He was stationed in Market Drayton, Shropshire, where he worked on radar.

While serving in the RAF he was asked to go on parade duty for the funeral of King George VI in February 1952.

The couple were married in December 1954 at Christ Church Battyeford, Mirfield, two months after Michael was demobbed.

The couple lived on Garden Street, Ravensthorpe, for a number of years and it was while they were living there that their daughter, Virginia, was born.

Michael’s first job was working at Ambassador Radio and TV, designing television sets.

Michael left Ambassador to go and work for Frank Beaumont engineering, again designing televisions, and then eventually to Baird Television.

It was while at Baird that he began teaching television design to students at Bradford Technical College in the evenings and this, in turn, inspired him to go into teaching full time.

He did his teacher training at Huddersfield College and passed with grade one. During the course of his training he spent time in Evesham, Worcester, with the BBC.

The family moved to Brighouse and Michael took up a post teaching maths, electronics and television engineering at the former Percival Whitley College (now Calderdale College) in Halifax, where he stayed until 1992, taking early retirement.

Michael’s first sporting passion was football, which he began playing while at grammar school, but later in life he developed a love for tennis and became a member of Rastrick Tennis Club, playing in the Huddersfield League as well as at Queen’s Club in Halifax.

The couple, who had moved to Elland, celebrated 67 years of marriage in December 2021. As well as Mary and Virginia (Mason), Michael leaves two grandchildren, Stephanie and Lewis Mason.

Virginia said: “My dad made a wonderful teacher as he had so much patience in explaining things.

"He taught students of all cultures, backgrounds and abilities and this was something he loved because he believed everyone had potential and deserved the best education possible.

“When former students got in touch he always loved to hear what they had gone on to do after leaving college.

“He was a great ‘fixer’, always repairing and mending things.

"At every house my mum and dad lived in, he always had a workshop, which had every piece of equipment and tool you could think of. In later years he had a shed.

"He loved the challenge of taking something apart when it was broken and getting it going again.

“He adored his grandchildren and was so proud of the adults they became.

"To be married for 67 years was a remarkable achievement.

“He was a fantastic role model to me and has left a huge hole in my life. We are all going to miss him dearly.”

Michael’s funeral will be held at Park Wood Crematorium, Elland, on Thursday, February 24, at 3.45pm.