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Back to all news
Members of the St Paul’s Community are invited to share their messages of condolence, following the sad loss of Dr Ed Beesley, Head of History at St Paul’s.
Ed’s wife is extremely grateful for the kind words she has received so far and wanted the school to share this message with the Pauline community:
Normally, I am extremely assiduous in writing thank-you cards for the gifts I receive but, after today, this would be an Herculean task so please excuse the impersonal nature of this message.
Ed was loved and respected wherever he worked and it is an enormous help to Augusta, Theo and me to see this marked so palpably by the hundreds of cards and messages we have already received. We have long since run out of vases for beautiful flowers and the massive box which just arrived with so many envelopes, gifts and expressions of love from SPGS and SPS is quite overwhelming. The Rugby community also holds Ed deep in their hearts and so we are drawing on our collective good memories to keep us strong. Ed will live with us forever, of course, but you have all already played a huge part in supporting us and I know he would love you all the more for it.
With our best wishes, Lizzie, Augusta and Theo.
If you would like to share your message on this page, please add your comment in the below box.
If you wish to include your name with your message, please add it to the message box as well as the field marked ‘name’.
A genuine hero of mine and many of my contemporaries, Dr Beesley was the inspiration of so many to study History at university. Above all else, he was a hilarious, engaging and brilliant character, who put smiles on so many faces and created fond memories that will never be forgotten. My thoughts are with his family, and all that had the pleasure of knowing him.
Dr Beesley was an inspirational teacher, the stand out teacher who has truly energised my son in his gcse and a level studies. It was as a result of Dr Beesley and his engaging and thought provoking methods of teaching that Thomas chose to study history. Dr Beelsey will be sorely missed by everyone in St Paul’s community. However it is for his family that I feel most acutely and wish that in some small way, our sentiments and the knowledge that Ed was such an inspiration to so many can help in your grieving and your healing. Deborah and Thomas Chittenden
Dr Beesley was my son Shekhu’s most favourite teacher, he revitalised history as a subject for him and was a huge support. He will never be forgotten.
Dr Beesley inspired many boys into A level and University level History, and inspired many parents with his passion, knowledge and practical ways of extending his subject well beyond the classroom. Our thoughts are with his family, and the St Pauls staff community.
Dr Beesley was so inspiring, charismatic and impressive. A teacher that really marks and makes a difference in a student’s life. It is a tremendous loss and such a sad early end.