Garry Weston.

Stuart M Lever

Garry Weston, who died on 15 February 2002, aged 74, was a friend and contemporary of mine at Borlase in the war years 1939- 1944.

The Weston family were Canadian and already Weston Biscuits (now Associated British Foods) were well- known. Father, Garfield Weston was a strong personality and was MP for Macclesfield. He gave to the School a fine painting of a sailing vessel under full sail in seas with the caption 'It isn't the gale but the set of the sails that determines the way you go.' A message that I, and many other Borlasians, I am sure, took to heart.

An elder brother, Granger, was also at Borlase for a time. It was a large family of nine children who lived in a fine house at Hambledon but in no way were waited on. They were brought up in the tradition of working hard and I was impressed as a guest that we all washed up and marched round the kitchen singing 'Alouetta' as we dried the dishes.

I was stroke of the School first four in 1944 and Garry was bow, so we learned teamwork together and, in particular, good timing made for efficiency (and avoided a jab in the back from the oar behind).

We both went up to Oxford and read PPE, and I remember my first time as his guest at New College in Hall for dinner when we had finished slurping our soup there was a motto at the bottom of the bowl, 'Manners maketh man.' With this maxim on top of 'following things worthy of you', Garry could not stray from being Great and Good. Rather than work in the shadow of his father, Garry successfully built up a new area to the business in Australia before later returning to take over as working Chairman for many years.

The Western Foundation has given generous aid to a multitude of good causes and assisted many initiatives to get off the ground, including my own Award for Excellence which was an apprenticeship to learn the craft of making stained glass. Without the helping hand towards the pursuit of excellence, objects of beauty like the window in the Chapel would not be made in the future. Probably Garry's most well known and most generous donation was £15 million to the British Museum.

Outside business Garry was a very retiring person and lived in simple style. He kept in contact with the School and was a trustee of the Borlase Trust. He was a true Borlasian.