John Barton Obituary

For those not able to join us today; you should be able to watch the thanksgiving service at 12:30 on St Mary´s Facebook page. Link below. Thank you.

https://www.facebook.com/StMarysHolyApostles

Wonderful person; teacher; and friend. Love.

John taught me Physics at Netherthorpe School in Staveley from 1975 until I left in 1982. He was a truly brilliant and inspirational teacher and although he was strict (and everything had to be done - quite rightly - correctly!), you soon found out that he was one of the kindest people you were ever likely to meet. When myself sister (Heather) realised in the sixth form she should have taken O-Level Physics, John spent hours after school, teaching her, to make sure she got the qualification she needed, something he also did for pupils wanting to study S-Level Physics and taking University entrance exams. All very much beyond the call of duty.
His knowledge (and understanding) of Physics was encyclopaedic and whenever he wrote kind words in end-of-year reports, it really meant something. He encouraged me hugely at every stage during my time at Netherthorpe and I shall be forever grateful for how he helped me to follow a scientific career. I do hope he eventually forgave me though, for writing that "a ton of lead weighs more than a ton of feathers" as my answer to a trick question in my first piece of Physics homework in 1975!
My sincere condolences and best wishes to all of his family, he'll be remembered with great affection and respect by everyone who was fortunate enough to have crossed paths with him.
(I've added a photograph that I took of him in the "new" Physics lab just before I left Netherthorpe in 1982, which is exactly how I'll always remember him.)