Dedicated teacher helped found school

Pupils to remember longest-surviving squadron member

PAST pupils and staff are expected to attend the funeral next week of a founder teacher of Archbishop’s School in Canterbury who designed its famous yellow mitre emblem.

John Brisley taught art in the city all his life, having started his career at St John’s and then St Dunstan’s School, which later merged with Payne-Smith.

Also known as Jack, he died peacefully in his sleep last Monday aged 98 at the Chestfield Care Home after suffering a chest infection.

He grew up in the East End of London and became an aircraft engi- neer in the RAF and was the longest surviving member of 25 Squadron.

Mr Brisley lived in Jesuit Close, Canterbury, for many years and founded the city’s St Stephen’s Community Centre, where he was a life president.

Accomplished

He was widowed in 1976 but remained busy after his retirement from Archbishop’s, doing commissions for pictures and wood carvings until he suffered a severe stroke when he was 86.

He was also an accomplished photographer.

The celebration of his life will be on Thursday, February 28, at 3.20pm at Barham crematorium, where one of his daughters Jill will play the organ and ex-pupil Albert Barber, who became a successful TV director, will speak of his admiration for his former teacher.