Hull Geological Society
Lynden Emery
Extracts from the Eulogy to Lynden
Emery, read at his funeral on 11th February 2008.
Lynden Huhme Emery 2
January 1940 to 27 January 2008.
Lynden was born in Southport 67
years ago. He was an only child and would have been a New Year baby but he got
stuck. Lynden lived in a house with his parents, uncles, aunts and great
grandmother, and at various times lived with his two cousins, Audrey and
Barbara, who were like sisters to him. After primary and secondary education
Lynden matriculated and gained a place at Hull University to study Botany and
Zoology. It was at Hull University that Lynden met Ann at the start of his
second year. Lynden was escorting the new undergraduate cyclists from Hull
railway station to Cottingham. Ann being the eldest child in her family was used
to looking after her siblings and did the same for Lynden, ensuring that he did
not fall off, when he tried to cycle with another bike alongside – he took this
as a sign of her fancying him. Anyway in the end she did and they were married
in 1962 and their 45th wedding anniversary was this year.
Lynden and Ann had
their family young and their two daughters, Elaine and Yvonne, lived in
Cottingham for 40 years. They married Chris and Doug respectively and Lynden was
very proud of his five granddaughters…
Lynden began his
teaching life at Hull Grammar School in 1962, and two years later became Head of
Biology at Kingston High School. He stayed there until 1988 when yet another
reorganisation took place in Hull. Two new sixth form colleges were established
and Lynden became Professional Tutor at Wilberforce College. He was in effect
responsible for and in charge of getting training for all the staff. Sadly this
job never received the support it required from senior management which
seriously affected Lynden’s health leading to his ill-health retirement in 1992,
having worked for 30 years in Hull’s Education Service. Ann retired at the same
time but for different reasons.
Lynden had many
interests throughout his life and had an encyclopaedic mind for all sorts of
facts.
Geology lead him to
take a part time MSc in Geology over a period of years. He loved collecting
fossils from the Speeton Beds along the Yorkshire coast and holidays in Germany
and France were taken in the old Bedford van often became entangled with his
research. Lynden’s fossil collection is now part of Hull Museums collection.
Lynden was a committee member of the Hull Geological Society for many years and
was made President in its centenary year and also a member of the Yorkshire
Geological Society serving on their Council and a committee member of the
Yorkshire Branch of the Institute of Biology.
Many of you however
will remember Lynden best for his love of railways. He travelled on every steam
railway he could in every country he visited especially America, New Zealand and
France. As a teenager, he became a member of the Ffestiniog Railway and was a
member for over 40 years until his death …
Lynden was a keen railway modeller
too … He was editor of the Scalefour Society’s magazine for 4 years. Even with
his dementia he was still able to proof read… Lynden made two layouts during his
married life and some before that. His most recent layout, Tythering Junction,
was started on his 50th birthday back in Cottingham … [Lynden and Ann
moved to Castle Cary, Somerset, in 2002]
… In his professional life Lynden was well known as a
gentleman, he was well respected as a teacher, as a colleague and for the work
he did for his teachers’ union. He was knowledgeable on all sorts of topics, a
walking encyclopaedia, and especially anything to do with railways and fossils.
He was a wonderful husband, father and granddaughters. He will be sadly missed
and long remembered.
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