Bob Bee (1936-2023)

Bob Bee died on 1 August at the age of 87. After Mill Hill School, national service, Selwyn College, Cambridge reading Natural Sciences, and Keble College, Oxford, he joined King’s in September 1960.

He was a conscientious, supportive and encouraging teacher of Chemistry. These qualities were deployed to the full when he was housemaster of Luxmoore from 1971 to 1983, supported by Martha as matron. For most of his time the house was in the New Dover Road, but it moved to the Precincts in 1980. He thus welcomed the Queen Mother when she formally opened the new building in 1981.

He was an excellent squash player and an enthusiastic supporter of games of all kinds, but he will probably be remembered most for his love of cricket. A deceptively canny slow left arm bowler – “a wily old Bee”, said one opponent – and a dogged exponent of the forward defensive, he was a stalwart of both the Haymakers and the Harvesters (the Common Room XI on tour). His knowledge of cricket statistics was encyclopaedic.

Bob’s cheery demeanour endeared him to pupils and colleagues. He was friendly and sociable, running the Leavers’ Ball for many years. There are many Bob Bee stories, often told by the man himself, and all making you laugh. He was a genuinely lovely man.

His wife Martha died in 2017 and he leaves three children Nick, Andrew and Sara, all OKS.

For tributes from John Parker and Chris Jackson on his retirement, see The Cantuarian August 1993, pages 180-82: The Cantuarian December 1992 - August 1993 by OKS Association | The King's School, Canterbury - Issuu

Published: Thursday 3 August 2023