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| 1 Apr 2019 | |
| Announcements |
| SARO-WIWA, Suanu Lucas Cameron Died in October 2018, aged 18. Son to Ken (PS 82-86) and Olivia, brother of Felix (PS 10-15). Grandson of Ken Saro-Wiwa, the Ogoniland campaigner who was unjustly executed by the Nigerian regime in 1995. Suanu joined Tonbridge from The Hawthorns School, entering Parkside where his brother, Felix, was in the LVI and where his father, Ken, had attended in the 1980s. Academically gifted, Suanu had secured a scholarship. His sporting prowess was clear, certainly matching up to the illustrious on-field achievements of both Ken and Felix. Suanu represented the 1st XV for two seasons, playing full-back in the NatWest Champions Trophy winning side of 2016 while in his LVI year. He also debuted for the 1st XI football team in the LVI. Suanu was the driving force behind the introduction of cookery as a Wednesday Afternoon Activity for boys in the Sixth Form. After leaving Tonbridge in July 2018, Suanu began a gap year and returned to Toronto, Canada where he was born and had lived as a young boy. He started an internship at Thomson Reuters and was soon an integral part of their team. Some words from their eulogy: Suanu quickly built friendships with many of our employees. From providing well thought out insights in meetings, to writing an important speech delivered before leaders of the Canadian legal and business community, Suanu showed an eloquence, intelligence and maturity well beyond his years. Suanu was the consummate ‘foody’ and he had quite the appetite!! His love of food was second only to his undeniable love of sport. On more than one occasion he proudly showed his colleagues videos of his rugby matches. It was clear to all of us that some of his happiest memories and closest friends were made on the field. With his incredible family history of which he was so proud, he brought a refreshing global perspective and energy to our community. Suanu was truly a bright light; he was a young man on the rise and seemed to truly love his work. Suanu had a genetic heart condition and tragically suffered a cardiac arrest within a few weeks of his arrival. His funeral in November was so well attended by friends and family, including many OTs and members of the Common Room, that it was standing-room only. The following words are taken from two of the eulogies given on that day. Scholar, sportsman, chef, Suanu could do it all, but having spoken with boys in his House, year group, rugby team, football side since his passing, the word that perhaps is missing is ‘friend’. A fiercely loyal friend, Suanu was respected by his peers, idolized, looked up to and held in the highest esteem, a boy of precocious talent but a certain humility and laconic nature with it. Speaking to his teachers and sports coaches, and from my own experience coaching Suanu, it would be fair to say that he didn’t do work in the classroom or indeed train on the games field for the sake of it. Blessed with intelligence and innate sporting prowess he knew that when he took the pitch or sat the exam, he had the ability to ensure he’d get the job done. He was a big game player. … Perhaps the proudest moment of my coaching career has been winning the Champions trophy rugby final. Suanu was a vital part of that team. During that season he carried a lot on his strong shoulders, with the loss of his father and the diagnosis surrounding his heart, but in his own inimitable, personal way, he kept on fighting, the character he showed that year was, quite frankly, inspiring. … In his final set of reports before leaving Tonbridge, just before his summer exams, his maths teacher wrote: ‘Tonbridge is not going to be quite the same without Suanu! From an academic perspective he can be rather frustrating to teach, as one can detect his obvious intellectual ability. I hold out some hope that he will have applied himself in the final run-up to the statistics exam. Low and behold Suanu got an A… by 1 mark. His teacher emailed him saying he got lucky, Suanu merely replied – ‘I’m efficient, Sir’. … Anyone who ever had the pleasure to know, coach, teach or share a field with Suanu will miss him dearly. Suanu didn’t let people in easily, I but will cherish the moments we had together where he was part of our very special team - and I’ll miss his smile. - Chris Morgan, Director of Sport Suanu could be a pain. From when I met him in September of his first year at Tonbridge School, I don’t remember him not trying to do exactly what he wanted. At school, he would not go to Chapel, he was watching a film the night before his French A Level – and it wasn’t even in French – and he would arrive late to lessons, generally with a snack and a drink but never with an apology. And yet, the number of people who are here to show their love today is a testament to his ability to inspire this love, from those who were willing to look for his sensitivity. Suanu was a vulnerable soul, something he often hid behind being grumpy. When he was in a good mood, he had the power to light up a whole room with his big smile and contagious laugh. When he was in a bad mood, we would all walk on egg shells around him. … He had the smile of a young man who saw life as full of fun. He had a lively and original mind. He was kind, but, when he felt there had been unfairness or injustice, he was prepared to fight – and would never back down. We also talked a lot about his dad, and how devastated he was when Ken passed away. He had not only lost his hero, but it also made him ponder his relationship with his own mortality. He realized and sometimes struggled to come to terms with the fact that, every single day, his own life could be swooped from under his feet. He carried a lot of pain and grief and was fearful of his condition, but he tried to live each day with a noble heart, focusing on what was most important to him: his family, his friends, sports and… food. Suanu created moments that brought him closer to others. For me, it was Cooking club. In their Lower Sixth year, Suanu and Nico pestered me into attending a food hygiene course during my summer holidays so that, every Wednesday afternoon, they, along with Max, Hugo, Ben and Meurig could cook a great meal and share it with each other and a few carefully selected friends and teachers. Those afternoons were some of my happiest memories at Tonbridge School. Suanu proclaimed himself ‘Meat Man’ and directed us all. His enthusiasm for cooking and good food was amazing. I am sure that he had some very happy moments in that kitchen – especially when we all cooked his Grandma’s famous jollof rice recipe. I saw so much pride on his face that day. Suanu’s heart, even though fragile, was huge and I, like many others in this room, am so lucky to have played a part in his life. I cannot get my head around the fact that he is not here anymore, but I will cherish all the memories I shared with him forever. We are all feeling fragile right now. Be kind, look out for each other, and always remember Suanu, who lived such a rich life thanks to all of you. - Esther Saurel, Former Head of French (PS 13-18) |
