Trevor Burgin will be fondly remembered by many former pupils as a truly great teacher.
He was at the forefront of multi-cultural education in Huddersfield which earned him a very well-deserved OBE.
But his other two passions in life were flying and rugby union.
He was born on January 5, 1925 and his desire to be an airman probably started in the 1930s when he went to see Sir Allen Cogham’s Flying Circus at Clifton Fields near Brighouse.
He went to Huddersfield College in 1935 and when war broke out joined the school’s Air Training Corps. He joined the RAF in September 1942 but because he had already started his teacher training he was put on deferred service for 18 months. It wasn’t until August 1945 that he was training as a bomb aimer in a Liberator preparing to fly out to the Far East to join the war in Japan, but Japan then surrendered. He became an education officer before he was demobbed in 1946.
Trevor married Kathleen that year and they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary last year.
In the 1950s Trevor played for Huddersfield Rugby Union Football Club and made 55 first team appearances, remaining a loyal supporter throughout his life.
A keen swimmer, he served 12 years on the English Schools Swimming Association and was elected national president in 1972.
Trevor was appointed headmaster of Spring Grove Primary School in September 1958, co-writing a book with staff member Paddy Edson called Spring Grove – The Education of Immigrant Children which outlined the pioneering work integrating the pupils into mainstream education and teaching English as a second language.
He led the first party of British educationalists to the Punjab and in 1972 was awarded the OBE for his contribution to multi racial education.
In 1968 Trevor became Educational Organiser for Immigrant and Remedial Education and when Kirklees was formed in 1974 he was promoted to Senior Advisor for Compensatory Education.
After he retired Trevor and Kath bought and sold antiques which kept them busy for 30 years.
His son-in-law John Prescott said: “Trevor usually had a funny story tucked up his sleeve ready to pull out when the occasion arose. Inspirational is a word often used by people when they talk about Trevor which is testament in itself to him and the impact he had on many people’s lives. Trevor achieved many things in his long life but his greatest pride was always in his family.”
Apart from Kathleen, Trevor leaves two daughters, Carolyn and Angela and four grandchildren, Abbie, Eve, Emily and Oliver.
