Well, it's an obituary only in the sense that somebody's died, I guess -- and no, it's not Michael Jackson, although that was shocking, too.

Basically our chemistry teacher (also my form teacher) dropped out of teaching us after the first year and went off sick. We were all informed that he wasn't well and had been rushed to hospital, but weren't allowed to know the details as he was a very private man. Later on there we were told he'd be back by Christmas, but then he relapsed and went back into hospital again. Of course we got him some cards at various stages, and I collected some money and bought him some presents at one point which were given to him by another chemistry teacher who said she was going to visit him -- sudoku magazines, golf magazines etc. because the poor chap was stuck in hospital all the time, and he had no family or relatives, so I thought he would be really bored.

Anyway, I just heard yesterday from a friend that he died just before our exams (so mid-May, I guess). Apparently he didn't want us to be told or for anybody to visit him because he was worried it might upset us before our exams. In a similar fashion, he had an unattended funeral.

The man was lonely, in pain and very grumpy, and not the best teacher at teaching, but he was also generous to a fault and very kind, even right up to the end. I feel extremely bad for him because he must've been so very lonely all by himself. It also feels disrespectful to me that nobody went to his funeral, even though I know he was trying to do us all a good turn, it seems extremely wrong that it all happened in secret. Meh, I dunno. I know nobody else will have known him, but it just seems right that other people should know he was a good bloke and that we should acknowledge he died and pay him some tribute or respect.

Came as something of a shock to me, I guess. I feel like I should do something but it was already over a month ago, so there's nothing to do. Still, thought it deserved mention.