John Ivatt Scarr
North B, 1949-53
John was born in 1936 in Twickenham, Middlesex, to his parents Faith and Leslie Scarr. They moved to New Malden, Surrey, where he attended Bretby House School. In 1941 he was sent to live with his grandparents in Cambridge to escape the bombs that had begun to fall upon London. Here he attended St. Faith’s School, leaving at age 13 to become a student at The Leys.
The Leys was a second home to John and he loved it there. He went on to play rugby, cricket, and hockey for the School. It broke his heart when he was pulled from The Leys at age 17, forced to leave his beloved school and friends behind.
John went on to join the Royal Artillery from 1954 to 1956, and was stationed in Germany for 14 months. After returning to England, he attended Goldsmiths, University of London, where he gained his secondary school teacher qualifications.
In 1963, after five years of teaching in England, John seized an opportunity to travel to Africa where he would teach in Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) and Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), exploring the continent along the way. He returned to England in 1965, before heading overseas in 1967 to Kingston, Jamaica, to teach. He also worked in the film industry there for a brief time before moving to Wellington, New Zealand, in 1969.
In 1970, John moved to Auckland where he worked as a teacher for a short while before starting up an import company. He would eventually join the insurance industry, running his own company from 1991 until his retirement in 2022, at 86 years of age.
It was in Auckland that John would meet Jenny, his wife of 41 years, and where they would raise Sarah, Matthew, and Andrew, their children. He was a dedicated and loving husband and father, and a lover of animals. His life’s journey has left an indelible impression upon numerous friends, family members, neighbours, acquaintances and colleagues as a kind, generous, caring, and genuine soul. He will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.
Words by Matthew Scarr