Tributes paid to long-serving Burnley teacher (From Lancashire Telegraph)
When news happens, text LT and your photos and videos to 80360. Or contact us by email or phone.
Tributes paid to long-serving Burnley teacher
9:00pm Sunday 23rd December 2012 in News
By Chris Gee, Reporter
TRIBUTES have been paid following the death of a retired teacher who taught at a Burnley high school for more than 30 years.
Thomas Chaffer, who died earlier this month, aged 76, was a Geography master at Towneley High School for 33 years and also taught at Burnley College.
Mr Chaffer, who leaves wife Mary, 76, and two sons, Christopher and Richard, also had an active retirement after leaving the school in 1994, rediscovering his early love of drawing and learning foreign languages.
His son Richard, 35, said: “I think dad was perfectly suited to being a teacher. He had a gentle, tolerant nature and treated everyone as equals.
“He also used to enjoy injecting humour into his teaching and loved cracking jokes.
“Everyone who has spoken to me about him since his death has described as a 'true gent'.
“In recent years he has returned to an early love and hobby of his, drawing.
“He enjoyed drawing people around Burnley, in particular Ightenhill for a number of years, capturing the various charactersand musicians at the local clubs and pubs.
“He also learned Italian and German, which was some achievement for someone of his years.”
Mr Chaffer was also well known in the area because his father owned an off-licence in the Wood Top area of Burnley, which he kept running during his early teaching career.
In later life he was secretary of Burnley West Probus Club.
Mr Chaffer’s funeral service will be held at St Peters Church, Burnley, at noon on Monday, December 31.
Comments(10)
sueysuey1
says...
10:32am Mon 24 Dec 12
RichardChaffer
says...
6:09pm Mon 24 Dec 12
( and thank you for your nice comments )
I am collecting comments and images of my Dad for posterity, legacy etc, if you would like to send any memories, thoughts or images please email me at comments@richardchaf
fer.co.uk
Thank you
RichardChaffer
says...
6:11pm Mon 24 Dec 12
fer.co.uk
RichardChaffer
says...
6:42pm Mon 24 Dec 12
( For some reason when you post an email address on here it splits the line up )
BURNLEYITE39
says...
1:54pm Wed 26 Dec 12
Random Username
says...
10:54pm Thu 27 Dec 12
RichardChaffer
says...
3:05pm Fri 28 Dec 12
Re: Burnleyite39 perhaps a school nickname isnt for public posts but please send it to me because i am interested in all, good, bad or indifferent etc
vicgebbie
says...
11:42pm Sun 30 Dec 12
I lived close by and we spent many hours playing in the house attached to the shop.We went to Wood Top and Hargher Clough together and were inth e cubs at Accrington Rd Methodist. In fact I went on what was my first football match together when a cubs sports day was cancelled. (That was in1946.
He latter taught both my daughters at Towneley.
It was a pleasure to have known him and to be a friend.
Vic Gebbie.
John Oakes
says...
7:06pm Fri 4 Jan 13
One day in economics Tom wrote on the board that it was all about prophet and loss--our other mate a local Moslem did not find the joke in good taste--but he got over it in the pub after the lesson--Ashraf always enjoyed a pint especially if someone else was getting the round in.
Such happy carefree days-we had so much innocent fun--does not seem to happen the same these days but then Tom could always bring out the best in those around him.
So many happy memories--thanks Tom.
John Oakes says...
8:38am Mon 24 Dec 12
RIP Tom and my sympathy to your family--he will be missed by many.
from John retired and living in France.