Philip Tomlinson (LGS 1948; Chairman of Governors 1988 – 2005)

Philip Tomlinson was a good all-round pupil of LGS and excelled at sport, particularly cricket and football.

After leaving school he did National Service in the RAF. He went on to obtain a Law Degree and receive articles from Malcolm Moss, the senior partner of Moss, Deane and Moss. In 1958 he passed the Law Society exams to qualify as a solicitor. Eventually Philip became the Senior Partner of the firm, which had changed its name to Moss, Toone and Deane. In addition to his everyday work, he was legal advisor to the Tax Commissioners.

In 1977, Philip was appointed Coroner for North Leicestershire and Rutland. He presided over the inquest of the 1989 plane crash on the M1 near Kegworth in which 47 people died.

Also in 1977, Philip was appointed a governor of the Loughborough Endowed Schools, and in 1988 was elected Chairman of the governing body. He was Chairman during the 500th year of the Grammar School’s history, and during the visit of the Queen in 1996. In 2005, he retired from the governing body and in 2006, a new music building was named the ‘Philip Tomlinson Building’, in recognition of his remarkable service. This was officially opened by the Master of the Queen’s Music, Sir Peter Maxwell-Davis.

In 1995, Philip was awarded an honorary MA by Loughborough University.

In 1959, Philip married Margaret Johnson, an alumna of Fairfield and Loughborough High School and a graduate of Nottingham University. They have two children, Ian who is a Professor of Genetics at Oxford University and Fellow of the Royal Society, and Julia who is a well-respected designer. They both attended Fairfield and then LGS and LHS respectively. He also has four granddaughters – Genevieve, Francesca, Emilia and Martha.

Philip lived in Leicestershire for most of his life, 37 years in Mullions on Forest Road, Loughborough. In July 2022, he and Margaret moved to Wardour in Wiltshire.

Philip died on 31 December 2022. He was dearly loved and will be much missed.