TRIBUTES have been pouring in to former Nunthorpe Grammar School maths and physics teacher Barrie Marsden, who has died at the age of 92.

Mr Marsden, known to all his pupils as ‘Jock’, passed away quietly in his sleep at home in Harrogate on November 13.

News of his death has prompted an outpouring of tributes on the Nunthorpe Grammar Facebook page.

"Such sad news," wrote Dave Wood. "Jock was a great teacher and a great man. Rest in peace Sir!"

"A truly lovely man," added Ian Parkinson. "A real enthusiast for his subject and a wonderful and inspirational communicator. RIP Jock."

Mr Marsden was born on October 24, 1929, in Accrington, Lancashire.

When he was still young, the family moved to Alloa. Too young to serve in the war, he went to Glasgow University to study chemistry and astronomy then, on graduation, was commissioned as a pilot officer in the RAF to do his national service.

York Press:

Barrie Marsden at a Nunthorpe Grammar School reunion

He led a team working on radar and avionics at RAF Leconfield, then was posted to the USA to work on the F4 Phantom. “When he went to America he packed his family and sailed off in the good ship Corona - not many can say that today!” his daughter Jan Marsden-Mackay said.

Returning from the US in 1967 destined for a career in Whitehall, he instead retired from the RAF because he did not want the family to grow up in London. He did a postgraduate teaching degree at Hull University, then became a maths and physics teacher at Nunthorpe.

Nunthorpe old boys are still full of anecdotes about him, Jan said.

In a comment sent to his family, one former pupil said: “As an 11-year-old South Bank scally, he caught me climbing on the roof at Nunthorpe and because I went round to his and apologised he rang the police and said he’d been mistaken. That man changed my life so much for the better.”

After retiring from teaching Mr Marsden spent three years as owner of the Commodore Hotel in Stonehaven, Scotland. When he and his wife Mic returned to York, however, she was suffering from vascular dementia. “Baz was her sole carer for nine years until 2011,” Jan said.

In 2014 he moved to Harrogate to be nearer to Jan and her family.

Jan’s memories of her father include playing football with him at RAF Leconfield with planes landing and taking off - and him flying in a Tiger Moth in May this year aged 91. “This was to be his last outing but what a magnificent day!” she said.

Barrie Prickett Marsden, 24/10/1929- 13/11/2021.

Mr Marsden’s funeral will be at Stonefall Crematorium in Harrogate at 11.40am on Friday. Mourners welcome. No flowers - make a donation to the Harrogate Palliative Care team instead.