George Gatling
1929-2023

George Evered Gatling was born in Bromley, Kent, in 1929. He joined Sevenoaks School in 1941 as one of 50 boarders in School House. He always spoke very fondly of his time at Sevenoaks,  although it was not always easy in wartime, with cold baths and basic meals. When he started, a boy named Barry Kember was asked to be his ‘shadow’ to show him around and explain the various house customs. George never forgot Barry’s kindness, and, in later years, when reminiscing about his schooldays, would often mention him.

The 50 boys were only allowed two newspapers a day to share – a fact George often remarked on in later life! It encouraged a lifelong love of newspapers, and until the end he always liked to have his own paper to read every day. In George’s words, ‘The Headmaster, Mr JA Higgs-Walker, was a stern but kindly man who believed in Victorian ways. He had little time for anyone who was interested in science, believing only historians were fit for anything.’ George, therefore, with his love of the humanities over science, got on well with the Head!

George particularly enjoyed rugby and played in the inter-house matches, where there seemed to be great rivalry between School House and Johnsons, the only two boarding houses. He was also in the debating society and one of his teachers suggested he try acting; he really enjoyed this and performed in a number of school plays including The School for Scandal. His love of acting continued as an adult in amateur dramatic groups. George took English Literature, English Language and Latin for Higher School certificate and he would have liked to have been a teacher or a journalist, but didn’t want to go to university. However, he did write for his local paper in Petts Wood, edited a local political journal and wrote a Latin primer. On leaving school, George worked in a London paper merchants before joining an import and export business, where he stayed for nine years. He married Sheila, and joined her in her father’s wholesale jewellery business in Hatton Garden. Together, as company directors, they worked hard to build up a very well-respected company, serving jewellery shops all over the UK and abroad. They retired in 1992 and moved to Eastbourne where they had many happy years together.

Sheila passed away in 2021 and despite missing her greatly, George continued to live independently until his sudden death in January 2023. He had the fighting spirit of many of his generation who lived through the war, and was always cheerful, counting his blessings right until the end. He is survived by his sister Marguerite, and was a loving father to Wendy, Gillian and Peter, and grandfather to Laura, Jamie, Becky, Ben and Daisy. He is greatly missed by all who knew him.