23rd September 2021

Dear Old Tonbridgians, Parents and Friends,

David Stephen Kemp, MA (1928 - 2021) Acting Headmaster (89-90)  | Second Master (71-89)  | PH Housemaster (69-84)

The whole Tonbridge School community will join with me in expressing our sadness at the death of David Kemp at the age of 92.

David Kemp has given a lifetime of dedicated service to the community of Tonbridge School, not least to that of the boys, and enjoyed an extraordinary career at Tonbridge.

David was in Parkside 1942-47 and made the most of the sporting opportunities at the School: he was in the Cricket XI 1946-47 alongside Colin Cowdrey, played for the Rugby XV in the ’46 season, and captained the Squash team in ’47, having played for the 1st IV for three seasons. He was appointed Head of School in his final year, and went up to Brasenose College, Oxford as a Smythe Exhibitioner. David took his BA in 1952 in Jurisprudence and was admitted a solicitor in 1956.

By September 1956, however, David was back at Tonbridge as an Assistant Master in the Classics Department, and soon found time to run hockey (including playing for Kent himself), golf and rackets, and cricket while Mike Bushby was on exchange in Australia.

Appointed as Housemaster of Park House in 1969-84, David completed the full 15-year tenure, seeing the three sons of Colin Cowdrey pass safely through his hands. He also accepted the new post of Second Master, equivalent of the nineteenth century role of Usher, under Robert Ogilvie in 1971; that the School stayed on such an even keel, indeed that it went from strength to strength, is testament to David’s kind wisdom, reassuring calmness and determined focus on the welfare of the boys. He was always supportive of Housemasters and had a natural empathy for boys’ individual strengths and potential for development.

When Christopher Everett announced his departure towards the end of 1989, the decision was made to appoint David Kemp as Acting Headmaster to allow time to find a successor. As Barry Orchard (OT, warmly remembered master and historian of the school) wrote: ‘[Christopher Everett’s] place was taken by David Kemp, the loved and respected Second Master, who had done so much for Tonbridge for so long.’ During David’s two terms as Headmaster the School continued to flourish thanks to his values of kindness, decency and mutual support. As Barry Orchard suggested, ‘One could even say of David Kemp that he is Tonbridge’.

On his retirement in 1990 David took an active role in the Skinners’ Company, serving as Master from 1997-1998 and as a governor of the School. He was President of Kent County Cricket 1992-1993. He also became President of the Old Tonbridgian Society and a regular, much loved and respected presence at most school, OT events and home fixtures. 

On behalf of the whole community, I have sent my condolences to Marion, William, Peter and their families. David will be greatly missed but his was a life well lived, and one that has greatly contributed to the happiness and success of the School which he much loved.

Thank you for holding the Kemp family in your thoughts and prayers at this very sad time.

Yours,

James Priory

Headmaster