Family pay tribute to former Rhodesway school head teacher (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Final farewells will be said to ‘extraordinary’ man, teacher, volunteer, and cricket player

11:00am Tuesday 12th March 2013 in News By Kathie Griffiths, T&A Reporter

Family and friends of a former Bradford head teacher will say their final farewells at his funeral tomorrow.

Alan Verity was 82 when he died peacefully at Manorlands Hospice in Oxenhope on March 2.

His son, Ted Verity, described his dad as an “extraordinary phenomena” who had been “fantastically fit”, still climbing mountains until shortly before he was diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer last year.

Mr Verity grew up in East Bierley, playing cricket for the local side, graduated from Manchester University and became an English teacher.

He was teaching at Eccleshill School when he fell for a fellow teacher on a school skiing trip and went on to marry her a year later.

The couple continued to teach, with Rowan Verity working at Bradford Girls Grammar teaching domestic science and her husband serving as head of English at Rhodesway school before becoming its deputy head teacher then its head teacher for the last two years before he retired.

Mr Verity saw it become a comprehensive school with more than 1,300 pupils before he embarked on his second career in 1990 dedicating himself to charitable work.

For more than ten years he was president of Bradford Mechanics Institute Library helping keep it financially afloat, he was also secretary and chairman for a time of Heaton Township Assocition and was a member of Bradford Rotary Club.

His son said: “Dad was also an extremely competitive bridge player. Walking was another of his passions along with cricket. He was a member of Yorkshire Cricket Club all his life.”

Mr Verity had described the death of his wife Rowan after 42 years of marriage as “an unimaginable loss”.

“Dad picked himself up but she really was the bedrock of his life.”

Mr Verity also leaves a daughter Catherine and grandsons Harry, Archie and James.

His funeral takes place at St Barnabas’ Church, Heaton, at 1.30pm followed by cremation at Nab Wood, Shipley, and then a thanksgiving celebration for his life at East Riddlesden Hall where he was a volunteer guide for the National Trust. Family flowers only have been requested at the funeral but a collection will be taken for Manorlands Hospice.