RIP - Dr Glyn Meredith (STAFF, 14-16)

Dr Glyn Meredith: STAFF, 2014 - 2016

Born 4th January 1958 - Dies 4th July 2024

Glyn was a true gentleman, who was caring and considerate in his thoughts, words and actions. He had a warm and friendly nature and a brilliant sense of humour. Glyn, was also a loving and proud father and grandfather.

In the academic field, Glyn excelled, and after leaving school, he attended Nottingham University where he gained his PhD in chemistry in 1984. From there, Glyn worked in sales and in his late 30’s he retrained as a chemistry teacher.  Initially, he took on the role of chemistry teacher at St. Mary’s in Calne and Downe House in Newbury, before moving around to teach in schools in areas such as Abington, Brecon, Truro, York and Wells.

His career as a chemistry teacher was not just a job, but a true vocation for Glyn; he believed in the power of knowledge and was keen to provide his students with all the help they needed to get both a fantastic education and the best possible start in life.

Glyn had a natural gift and the right temperament for teaching; he was patient, understanding and through his love for the subject, he had an innate ability to explain things simply, and his cool, level-headed approach made him an excellent teacher, and made chemistry more engaging for his students. He never got entangled in the politics and bureaucracy that can sometimes accompany this profession. For him, the joy he got, was in the classroom, seeing the spark of understanding in a student's eyes, knowing that he had made a difference. One message that stands out as particularly befitting of Glyn’s time teaching came from his colleague Adrian. In a message to Glyn’s children, Adrian said “Your dad was a great friend to me at St. Mary’s – his irreverence for senior management and general sense of mischief was a delight to behold. He was a star.”

Glyn loved the outdoors and being at the centre of the nature around him. To appreciate both – Glyn loved to go walking, and could happily walk for miles. As Glyn moved around a lot with work – wherever he was living, he would always buy a map of all the local walking trails – and would try them out on weekends.

Glyn lived a full and happy life – although his passing was a shock to his loved ones, as it was very unexpected – they try to find some comfort knowing that he was happy and active right until the very end.

Thanks to Sam Meredith

Bridge was huge presence in his life, but when Glyn retired, he was able to devote a lot more time to the game without work getting in the way. Glyn moved to Cardiff in 2022 and we started to play regularly at the club soon after. He was a kind and forgiving partner who was always happy to embrace new system tweaks, though not always to remember them! Glyn was an enthusiastic Congress player of both pairs and teams and he thoroughly enjoyed playing on Real Bridge in the EBU Green point events in which he was very successful, though not so much when playing with me! He also continued to represent Cornwall in the Western League and other County level events and he became Chair of Cardiff Bridge Club in 2023. Glyn was a Life Master and ranked a King on the EBU NGS scheme but he will be remembered chiefly for his ready smile, friendliness and gentlemanly table manners.

Tahnsk to Sarah Amos