Former headmaster dies at the age of 87 (From York Press)

Former Haxby Road School headmaster dies at the age of 87

7:59am Tuesday 7th February 2012 in Education news By Dan Bean, dan.bean@thepress.co.uk

Flashback to March 1986, when pupils at Haxby Road Primary School gathered to say goodbye to James Corney when he retired after 13 years as headmaster

A FORMER headmaster of Haxby Road Primary School, James Corney, has died at the age of 87.

Mr Corney, who also taught at Knavesmire Junior School and Westfield School, joined Haxby Road in 1972 as deputy headmaster, before taking the top job in 1973.

When he left in 1986, The Press reported that Mr Corney was inundated with gifts from grateful pupils, staff and parents, including a radio cassette deck, crystal glassware, china, books and an electric drill.

Mr Corney’s daughter, Cheryl, said her father was born in South Yorkshire, and moved to York to study at St John’s College after the Second World War.

She said: “He served in the Royal Signals in the islands between Australia and India as a radio operator, responsible for listening to Japanese Morse Code signals.

“He met my mother, Pauline, at the St John’s College Saturday night dances, and they married at Holy Trinity Church in Elvington in October, 1950.”

Mrs Corney died in 1995, but Cheryl said her father still lived a full life, and on the day he died he had enjoyed a ballroom dancing session, before his breathing became difficult and he was taken to hospital.

Cheryl said: “He enjoyed an active retirement in York, and was involved in amateur radio, ballroom dancing, and St Michael and All Angels Church in Sutton-upon-Derwent.”

Mr Corney is survived by his daughter, 58, and son Christopher, 52, who said: “We have many happy memories of going along with him to help at Haxby Road School camps at Robin Hood’s Bay.”

A funeral service will be held at St Michael and All Angels Church on Thursday, at 2.30pm. The family have asked for donations in lieu of flowers to Sutton-Upon-Derwent Parochial Church Council.