Rugby-mad PE teacher John was a legend among pupils

Published on Monday 12 May 2008 10:44

JOHN HALL, a popular PE teacher at Royal High School in a career spanning three decades, and a man with a genuine passion for rugby, has died, aged 81.

To thousands of Royal High School pupils, his inspirational teaching and encouragement made him a legend in his time both at the school in Calton Hill and later in Barnton.

He was born in Aberdeen to John and Sarah Hall in 1926. As a youngster, he was a keen athlete and enjoyed nothing more than outdoor pursuits and rugby, a passion that he would later instil in his young charges as a teacher.

And as a young man, he was awarded a medal for bravery after heroically saving a boy from drowning in Aberdeen harbour.

John was educated at Robert Gordon College before taking up a teaching post at Grangemouth. His long career at the Royal High School began after a chance encounter with its then-rector, Dr Imrie, who persuaded him to join his staff as a PE teacher.

He was introduced to his wife Joy in 1961 and the couple would regularly go rambling or hillwalking while courting. But it wasn't until July 1975 that they finally tied the knot, with a church service at St Cuthbert's on Lothian Road.

Mrs Hall said: "It was a lovely service and we had the minister from Cramond Kirk, Dr Small, marry us there as a favour because I'd been a member of his congregation.

"We had our honeymoon in Grantown-on-Spey. When we were on holiday we'd often go up to Glencoe for the walking and sometimes we'd go to Venice where we enjoyed many a time away."

The couple never had children but John was tireless in dedicating his energy and enthusiasm to the boys at the Royal High's prep school, Jock's Lodge, and then at the old school building and later, from 1968, in Barnton where he taught PE and was a guidance teacher.

Mrs Hall said: "He adored the boys at the school and was adored back by them.

"He'd often say that on a Monday he'd just have to sit with the boys and, later, the girls too, at the new school in a circle around him telling him what they had done at the weekend, before he could even start their class.

"He was always there for the pupils and would offer them guidance and encouragement in all they did."

Mr Hall, who would have turned 82 yesterday, died at the Western General Hospital, after a brief illness.

His funeral is being held at Warriston Crematorium's Lorimer Chapel on Wednesday at 3pm to which all friends are invited.

Mr Hall is survived by his wife, Joy, and his sister, Laura.