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Raymond Garlick Obituary... cont'd |
The Funeral celebration of the life of Raymond Garlick, Teacher/Editor, and Poet, took place at Wenallt Chapel, Thorn Hill on Thursday March 31st 2011. Amongst the many who attended were representatives from the Arts and Media World and a group of ex-pupils and colleagues from PDGS/PGS.
The proceedings were conducted bilingually by Raymond’s son, Actor and Presenter Iestyn Garlick, who recounted fondly the family’s memories of growing up with such an illustrious father. His recollections brought many a delighted chuckle from the congregation.
The Eulogy was delivered by Professor Jason Walford Davies, and embraced the many achievements of this remarkable scholar. These ranged from his early poetry and the foundation of the ground-breaking Dock Leaves magazine (when he was teaching at Pembroke Dock County School) to his later work as founder and lecturer of the Anglo Welsh Studies Course at Trinity College Carmarthen, his critical treatise An Introduction to Anglo Welsh Literature and his Joint-Editorship with Roland Mathias of Anglo Welsh Poetry 1480-1980. Professor Davies clearly illustrated the huge debt we owe to Raymond Garlick, as Dock Leaves later metamorphosed into The Anglo Welsh Review and its current successor The New Welsh Review. His legacy to the field of Welsh Writing in English is immense and continuing.
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Stephen Griffith Obituary... cont'd |
He went to Bangor University, where he read Physics, and was awarded an MSc. in 1958 for his statistical work and analysis of reasons for failure in Grammar School. He spent his career as a Physics teacher in Hereford. Buckinghamshire and, from 1949, in Pembrokeshire. In 1942 he married Clemency, and 3 daughters were born to them, Dilys, Margaret and Enid. As a conscientious objector and enthusiastic pacifist, he drove an ambulance during the Second World War, and after the war he and Clemency became Quakers.
He then became a member of Plaid Cymru, and as a close friend of his fellow Quaker, Waldo Williams, he backed Waldo's campaign in the 1950's as Pembrokeshire's first Plaid Cymru candidate.
During his days at Pembroke Grammar School, he, and Islwyn Griffiths, a great friend and colleague, with the help of others, ran an International Camp for overseas students and others who were studying in Britain, for a fortnight every summer for 15 years in succession. They were eager to foster understanding and good relations between the countries represented. After his school days in Pembroke, he went as a volunteer to teach physics in a school in Ghana to make his contribution to the third world. After that he taught Science, Maths and Welsh locally.
The decade that followed was his most fruitful as regards literary output. He was the author of 7 books, 5 of them in Welsh. He was an enthusiastic Eisteddfod goer, and in recognition of his contribution to the literary life of Wales, he was privileged to be admitted in white robes to the Gorsedd Circle in Rhyl in 1985.
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Ken Cooper Obituary... cont'd |
He was born in Leicester, but loved Pembrokeshire. He qualified as an art teacher in 1944, but was called up and posted to Carew Aerodrome for flight crew training. After marrying in 1947, he returned and started his art teaching career at Pembroke Grammar School on the old Bush Street site in Pembroke Dock. He was always busy in and out of school. He built and painted sets for the school plays directed by his friend and colleague Stewart Shaw during the 1960s. His own acting began with the Penfro Players, and later continued with St Michael's amateur dramatic group. He was a founder member of Pembroke's Civic Trust Society, which energetically fought to prevent everything interesting from being obliterated from Pembroke in the 1960s. He taught at Pembroke Grammar School for its entire existence from the end of the war, through the move to Bush Hill, and after the creation of Pembroke Comprehensive School. He was liked and respected by his pupils, and a number of fine students left to read art and architecture at university.
He left Pembroke with his second wife, Sylvia, and helped to bring up her two children, Miranda and Martin, teaching in Coventry. Eventually they moved to a thatched cottage in Rutland. After Sylvia died, he moved to Kent, and then back to the county he loved, Pembrokeshire. He took an active part in the Pembroke Arts Club and Civic Trust, and renewed old friendships. He visited |
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Raymond Garlick at Roland Mathias' 80th birthday celebration in 1995
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Two readings followed. The first was a reading of Raymond’s poem Explanatory Note, which was given by his long time, close friend Bishop Donald Mullins.
The second, a letter written to the whole Garlick Family by American poet and lecturer Jon Dressel, was read by Raymond’s daughter Angharad and was preceded by a moving tribute she gave to her father. Dressel had lived near Garlick, when both were lecturing at Trinity College and they had become firm friends. In his letter, Jon described their visits to sites known to and visited by Mark Twain and Robert Frost, when Garlick had visited America. He concluded, by recalling that one of Raymond’s favourite songs had been The Battle Hymn of the Republic, and it was the singing of this stirring and inspirational hymn that celebrated our personal salute to a really great Welshman.
CLICK HERE to read past pupil Peter Preece's Memory of Raymond Garlick written for The Penvro in 2009.
CLICK HERE for Peter Finch's tribute to Raymond Garlick published on BBC Wales website
CLICK HERE for M. Wynn Thomas's commentary published on the Literature Wales website ________________ |
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Stephen Griffith is 2nd from right. On the left: Islwyn Griffiths and
Miss Julian Jones -
International Camp Days
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Among his many interests were bee keeping, enjoying the Cleddau Waterway in his little boat, watching travel programmes on television, taking interest in his tiny pond with its frogs, water lilies, and solar fountain, reading Welsh books and battling the gremlins in his computer! He was very keen on the environment and had solar panels installed on the roof of his bungalow in Neyland. In his latter years he used to be seen from time to time on his scooter for the disabled. As long as he was able to, he took a great interest in life and issues of the day.
His funeral took place at Parc Gwyn on 17th December 2010 and a Memorial Meeting to
give thanks for the grace of God in the life of Stephen Griffith was held in the Quaker
Meeting House, Priory Road, Milford Haven on Saturday, 29th Jan., 2011 at 2pm.
CLICK HERE to read Penvro team member Ros Lilwall's account of this moving service.
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'View from the Welsh Room' ~ painted by Ken Cooper |
many countries with his friend Norma Shaw, along with sketch books and paints. Wherever he travelled he drew, and covered his sketch books with copious notes for his paintings. He was always experimenting with different subjects, styles and media - from landscapes to figure paintings, using oils, watercolour and acrylic. In recent years he had a number of successful exhibitions at the Tenby Art Gallery. Norma was with him when he died. He leaves three children, Helen, David and Ian, and grandchildren Sian, Michael and Gareth, Daryl and Rhys, and Matthew and Kate. Donations in his memory for St Michael's Church, Pembroke, may be sent to the Ken Cooper memorial fund, at John Roberts and Sons funeral directors, 51 Bush Street, Pembroke Dock SA72 6AN.
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