Richard Anthony Rothwell died on Friday 17th July 2009.

Adored son, brother, husband, father, and friend, Richard died in a tragic accident. All those who loved and cared about him are struggling to understand and make sense of what happened. For us the world is a sadder and lonelier place without him, and the rest of the world has lost one of its brightest stars. He will remain in our thoughts and hearts forever.

Rest in peace now, our beloved friend and soul mate.

  1. I was privileged to have worked with Richard and to have known him as a friend, albeit too briefly for my liking. He certainly had a touch of genius about his vision of where IT and Education should have/could have met. He made some very good things happen in that area.

    I’m thinking about all those of you he left behind.

    Peter Bryenton
    Cheltenham, UK

  2. I was fortunate to have worked with Richard and to have known him as a colleague, advisor and friend. He was talented & gifted in his field and offered help & advice to those around him from the moment he joined our team. He was well liked and respected by all those he taught.

    My thoughts are with his family and others who cared about him.

    Mrs Chris O’Donnell
    Worcester, UK

  3. Mike Harris says:

    I never met Richard, but was looking forward to meeting him during this year’s Big Green Gathering and discussing future plans and possibilities for an exciting new project. He was always spoken most highly of by friends and colleges that knew him and it is with sadness that I never will get to meet him. A great loss.

  4. Steve Woods says:

    I met Richard in Birmingham last year where he gave an excellent talk on LTSP. Had some really good talks with him there when we popped out to recharge on nicotine and was saddened to hear the news he was no longer with us.

    My thought are with his family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time.

  5. Vaughan says:

    I met Richard a few years ago through his love of all things tech. He was a friend, business associate and a great inspiration to me, twitter just isn’t the same; I shall miss him. My thoughts and love are with his family friends and loved ones at this difficult time.

  6. Re-LoaD says:

    Brum2600 is a funny old place, people from all walks of life, all backgrounds and technical abilities. Sometimes a new face will show up and sometimes that new face has that special something, an air of mystery, a wealth of knowledge and the ability to share that knowledge at all levels. I asked, “what’s your handle mate?” … Err “Richard” was the reply “Just Richard” and so it came to be “Just Richard” very much a part of the Brum2600 Crew….. Division by zero 17th July 2009 we shall miss you.

  7. Miles Berry says:

    The world is a smaller, sadder place without Richard. His vision, integrity, humour and character were an inspiration to me and so many others. Without him, the free and open source education community has lost a founding father, guiding light and tireless friend.

  8. Glen Millbery says:

    As his successors successor at SVS his was a name I heard mentioned. I was then surprised to find him as a fellow examiner at OCR. I thoroughly enjoyed the arguments we had, defending the ridiculous answers the pupils had given and trying to find them marks. Ian Paget acting as mediator between us, waiting for the time when Richard and I would be in agreement and turn on him!

    Richard was an honest, straightforward individual who was not shy in coming forward and was one person I was able to have a fair and frank exchange of views with and still manage to walk away on speaking terms.

    He ran the signals section on the CCF at SVS, a post I currently hold and am indebted to him for reviving it.

    His T-shirts brightened up any meeting, so I think it is only fitting that I end with:

    There are 10 types of people in the world: Those who understand binary, and those who don’t.

  9. David Sumner says:

    I was privileged to be taught by Richard at school, he was a man who stood up for what he believed in and tried to make a difference. May he rest in peace.

  10. Lucy Bridges says:

    I met Richard when his gave up some of his time to speak at Manchester Free Software. I remember him well and have often refered people to his work. He was enthusiastic, extremely knowledgable and inspirational.

    A great person, he will be sadly missed.

  11. I knew Richard through his work in the Free Software community. Richard was one of those people who I seemed to see at every conference I went to. AFFSAC, FLOSSIE, FOSDEM, you name it, he was there. It is ironic that I heard of his death at the Open Source Schools conference on Monday, an event at which I would normally expect to meet up with him. I got to know Richard a little more through SchoolForge-UK and always found him an intelligent and passionate conversant.

    More recently I have enjoyed reading his tweets and blog posts as he continued to ridicule and rail against everything he found hypocritical, invasive or offensive in the UK.

    http://gallery.tonywhitmore.co.uk/v/schoolforge05/img_1860_cropped.jpg.html

  12. The digital divide will be a bigger place for many.

    I never met him personally but he was involved in a couple of projects to kick off bridging this gap. For me and for the many this is very relevant to the man…..

    All men dream: but not equally.

    Those who dream by night in the dusty

    recesses of their minds wake in the day

    to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers

    of the day are dangerous men, for they may

    act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.

    T.E. Lawrence, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom.

    RIP.

  13. Iain Roberts says:

    Richard was an inspirational person, and someone with whom I could on occasion disagree vehemently and still remain friends. He will be greatly missed.

  14. I met Richard a regularly at Brum2600 meetings, always willing to help, and a seemingly never ending wealth of knowledge and wisdom. He helped me on many occastions without expecting anything in return. He gave me the confidence and encouragement to get on and achieve something when I thought I never could. I will miss him alot.

  15. I am greatly saddened to learn of Richard’s untimely passing. I met Richard over a decade ago through his music. He sang with the choir of All Saints Church, Leamington Spa, and I played for a number of their annual Choir Camps. Among the memorable visits were St Albans, York Minster and Ripon Cathedrals.

    Richard was a fine friend – he enjoyed good music, good beer, good humour, good company, and good conversation. Underlying this was a foundation of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding that was admirable. And Richard had his eccentric side – opening the boot of his car on arrival for one choir visit, he pulled his luggage from the boot of his car… a large black bin liner.

    Our musical paths eventually moved in different directions, so his appearance on Facebook was welcome. I shall miss his insights into the sometimes weird ways of the world, but most of all I shall miss his kindness.

    There aren’t many men like Richard Rothwell, and we are collectively poorer for his passing.

  16. Jonathan Davis says:

    I met Richard on several occasions at Manchester Free Software events, and had an enlightening discussion with him one evening after he generously agreed to speak to the group. He had a strong passion for ICT in schools, and for Free Software in general. He was an excellent, highly talented man who will be missed by all who came into contact with him.

  17. Tim Dobson says:

    I first encountered Richard, like many others, via the Schoolforge-uk (SF-UK) mailing list, with his posts on free software and LTSP related subjects.

    Ben Webb and I, on hearing he would be speaking at Manchester Free Software group in May 2008 about Sustainable Education Solutions, went along to see what we could gather.

    As probably one of the only Manchester Free Software talks that was not been videoed, it was a talk that I vividly remember regretting it was not being recorded mid-talk. I regret this to this day.

    Some may know that Richard was a important (I think Chief) Examiner for one of the exam boards in GCSE ICT (I think) and at the time, I was having a really hard time with my AS ICT Applied double courses.
    I really enjoyed his talk which, whilst focusing on his deployment of LTSP in secondary schools, gave some very insightful ideas into what an school which fully embraced free software could turn out like.

    He mentioned that the idea of running the network on LTSP came from two technologically adept 15 year olds.

    He explained how they approached him with this distro that did basic LTSP, and so he took them out of lessons and got them to demonstrate how it worked to him on two old machines. Once the potential became clear, as I understand he deployed LTSP on a largish network with minimal resources, saving oodles of money and using recycled computers.

    To me, a place where IT staff not only listened to the students, but interacted and were willing to look into ideas shared by the students is amazing, but for them build this system *around* free software is a utopia.

    I think Richard persuaded me that there were better places out there, and it was worth working hard to work towards those.

    I hope this is what I’m doing now.

    A true legend, remembered well.

  18. I met richard a few years ago now and we seemed to have the same sort of interests on a few subjects. We were never short for conversation even on the train journeys home from the meetings. He had a superb way of looking at things from a different perspective that will be missed greatly.

    SneakyR

  19. Steve Lee says:

    Richard was a passionate advocate of all things open and his witty concern will be missed.

    I’m left with the fond memory of Richard driving me to and from the SF-UK FLOSSIE conference at exactly 56 mph and fiddling with his homebrew sat nav as we got lost trying to avoid jams. It was a wonderful chance to get to know him and what he cared about, including a good double espresso.

    My thoughts go to his family and close colleagues.

  20. Mark Taylor says:

    Richard was a friend, an ally, and a man who’s philosophy and fundamental beliefs I share. He was one of the key players around Education in UK and European Free Software and his death has diminished us all. A courageous man who spoke his mind and called it as he saw it, he lived in a world that fell far, far short of his ideals. He cared passionately about software freedom, and especially it’s power to transform education. Richard – we will continue to work to make your dream come true – I give you my word… Mark

  21. John Spencer says:

    I am so sad, and so shocked.
    The Richard I knew as a friend and exchanged views regularly was so full of life and opinion.

    Farewell to a fellow allotment-eer and erstwhile teacher. Truly you will be missed.

  22. Linzi Rothwell says:

    I always imagined that at some point we would be able to put the past behind us and be friends again. I will always regret that we were not able to. I know that Richard was as proud as I am of our children, and I will do my best to get them through this but I know that there will always be a huge gap in all of our lives.

    Richard gave me the strength to be myself and always encouraged me to achieve what he knew I could even when I had no faith in myself, and that is a priceless gift.

    Linzi X

  23. Richard was a valued supporter of Open Rights Group, particular through his contributions to our discussion list. His pragmatic approach to digital rights campaigning inspires our work.

    He will be greatly missed.

  24. Drew Buddie says:

    I am so deeply saddneed to hear this news.

    Although my ‘meetings’ with Richard were mostly via Twitter and email I was privileged enough to meet him on two or three occasions.

    Hearing him speak passionately about his work at a Birmingham school when he had no money to spend on new computers or software remains as vivid to me now as it did when he spoke at the ACCITT conference 5 or so years ago. In that presentation he showed me that it DOES pay to stick to one’s guns when determined to see an idea, no matter how disagreeable to others, through to the end.

    He was inspirational and I am sure his legacy will be great – fittingly the Open Source Schools Unconference took place this week and would stand as an excellent tribute to the man who did more than most to pioneer the use of Open Source Software in schools.

    My condolences to his family and friends.

  25. Scott Doughty says:

    Richard was the moderator of the Leamington LETS Yahoo group until a few years ago (yet another string to his bow). I remember being impressed with the tactful but firm way he managed to rein in discussions which were becoming inflammatory, and the informed and helpful responses to several rather vague queries with which I chose to bother him. Definitely one of the good guys.

  26. Ian Paget says:

    I was shocked and sad when I heard first that Richard had gone missing and then that he had taken his own life. Many people on the examiner circuit who knew Richard and have worked with him have expressed their shock and sorrow. Richard will be missed in our examining world. I have known Richard for many years and worked with him in a number of areas. He was always organised, calm, methodical, accurate and a real rock as a team leader. He enthused about technology and was a leader in attempting to get free software into education. He did not suffer fools or authority gladly, but when he expressed irritation about something it was usually with good reason. It will not be the same without him. My heartfelt condolences are offered to his family.

  27. Sofie Tayton says:

    I knew Richard through the choir at All Saints in Leamington, and spent many happy evenings in beer gardens putting the world to rights!
    I have fond memories of all sorts of things (especially his slogan t-shirts and comments on the more modern eucharistic prayer!)
    Richard was a kind, generous and knowledgeable man and his death is an enormous shock and so, so sad.
    He will live on forever in the Tayton household as the word “Rothwellian” has been used for many years now to describe the approach to science, politics, life and liberty that he had. He was a one off and I cannot believe he is gone.

  28. David Gerard says:

    I saw this mentioned on Glyn Moody’s Twitter feed. I remember him as an active and excellent contributor to the Open Rights Group mailing list (who I alerted to his death). He will be much missed.

    He also got lots of points from me for coining the word “cockspiracy” – so much meaning in one word :-)

  29. Dudley Green Party says:

    Although we had only recently met Richard and had hardly had chance to get to know him we are all shocked and saddened to hear about his death. He had recently joined the Green Party and had already made significant contributions.

    Reading the tributes here, we can see what a talented man he was – something we had only a mere inkling of.

    Our sincerest sympathy to all family and friends. Clearly he will be much missed.

  30. Ian Lynch says:

    Friend, ally, colleague. Richard’s commitment, good humour and intelligence exemplified th best in the human species. You will be sadly missed.

  31. Alex Harrington says:

    I only met Richard once, several years ago now. Latterly we’ve exchanged emails and messages via Twitter.

    His vision for ICT in Education was amazing. He will be missed.

  32. Julie Stanton says:

    When Richard was head of ICT at Handsworth Grammar School, I started work there. First as a teachers’ assistant then through teacher training. It was here that he set up the LTSP network with second hand computers, paid for with his own money! Having just started work in school, I was complaining that I would have to work on my birthday (in previous jobs I had always taken the day off). He asked his wife to bake me a cake and we all ate it at lunch time.
    He was very thoughtful and very passionate about Linux and Open source – especially when the boys asked “Why can’t we have Windows, Sir?”
    He has left a legacy at this school and he, his singing and his coffee making skills will be fondly remembered.
    My condolences to all his loved ones that he left behind.

  33. Nik Peters says:

    I knew Richard through the choir of All Saints’ Leamington Spa. We sang Tenor together regularly for some time. Good fun was had both singing and drinking. I remember him nearly wetting himself and crying with laughter during a carol concert in South Staffordshire to which I’d asked him to sing. He set me off and things descended into chaos from there. Seeing the funny side seems to be a trait that most people who met him recognised quickly. It saddens me greatly that he’s gone. My heart goes out to Beth and the rest of the family.

  34. I’m saddened and puzzled by this news. I thought that it had happened, from reading various things during other conversations, but I didn’t want to believe it. But now there’s this. What a terrible week.

    Like many of the others writing on this site, my paths crossed with Richard through several IT-related organisations, and he was never less than an enthusiastic supporter, even though he was a fellow cynic.

    Reading some of the links on this site, I feel that maybe we would have crossed paths more on the wider liberty campaigns too, eventually. So, in a way, I hope I never understand his reasons, if you see what I mean.

  35. Sian and Monica from Milton Keynes says:

    We were volunteer youth hostel wardens at Pwll Deri Youth Hostel last week. On Friday afternoon we had just climbed up Garn Fawr from the hostel, and met Richard Rothwell coming up from the other side, from the car park where he had left his car. We had brief conversations with him – he seemed calm and determined, looking for a path which would take him down Garn Fawr in the direction of Pwll Deri. We watched the intense activities of the police and coastguards on Saturday morning, little dreaming that the man we had met on the mountain had taken his own life. Reading the tributes to him has brought it home to us what a very special person he was, and how much appreciated by all who knew him. We cannot imagine what his family must be suffering – but send our deepest sympathy anyway.
    Sian and Monica, Milton Keynes

  36. Barbara Gunter says:

    I met Richard & his family through All Saints Church Choir in Leamington. Very soon after meeting, Rob offered to drive Richard & Beth to a choir camp, and I tagged along. Not knowing them very well at that stage, Rob & I took care to moderate our language & be very polite. It didn’t take very long before we all realised that we were very like-minded & the conversation began to flow a bit more freely. We shared a love of music and his outlook on life. We loved his selection of off-the-wall t-shirts (my favourite, one that he wore at my birthday celebrations one year, the t-shirt with a printed tux).

    Every other tribute from a choir member seems to have involved the mention of alcohol & this one is no different! We enjoyed many an evening having a few beers together and talking for hours, both in Leamington Spa & in cathedral cities around the country. It was here that we learned that you could actually cut glass under water with a pair of scissors – did you know that glass is actually a super-cooled liquid?? (We tried it – it works!).

    Richard was such a relaxed and fun person to be around. He had so much knowledge, insight and wisdom to impart to others. I wish he could have seen all the tributes that have been left for him on this site – his kindness, good humour & willingness to share his knowledge with others seem to have struck everyone that met him.

    We will never know why he did what he did, but we all know that he was immensely proud of his family & loved them so much. We will all miss you, Richard.

    xx

  37. David Rees says:

    I was shocked and saddened to hear that Richard is no longer with us. I’m another who knew him through All Saints Church Choir. He arrived one Sunday to hear the music and the next day had joined us for a week’s choir camp! Once he made his mind up about something, he really went for it.

    My memory of him is that if he cared about something, he cared passionately about it. There were never any half measures. He was a great person to be with and things were never dull. He was also a really good singer.

    I am so sorry for Beth and the rest of Richard’s family that this has happened. I just don’t know what else to say.

  38. Georg Greve says:

    Returning from a short retreat to Heligoland I returned to the world to find that Richard is no longer in it. The world is a sadder place without him. Richard was a passionate advocate for digital liberties and civil rights who stood up for what he believed in. He was a pleasure to be around and work with, and I struggle to comprehend what may have made him choose to leave this world behind.

    My condolences to his family and all who knew, liked and loved him, my best wishes are with all of you.

    You will be missed, Richard!

  39. Phil Horley says:

    I knew Richard when he was at Sutton Valence. He was a good loyal friend, very keen on singing (I was the organist) and many a discussion was had about music.
    I will always remember times in the pub, especially a certian happy hour. Also the time we shared a room in Prague on a choir trip and having to clear up after a certian 6th former had a bit too much!

    My thoughts are with his family.

  40. Simon Ward says:

    I saw Richard presenting at Manchester Free Software. I hadn’t met him before, and I really wish I had met him again. His talk was enlightening, and showed that you could get free software to the masses, and how. I’ll miss the chance to see him again, and I am sure he will be missed by many more.

  41. Colin Shaw says:

    I write on behalf of all those who knew Richard at Sutton Valence School. Everyone whom he taught and who worked with him will be shocked to hear of his sudden death. He established IT at the school as a subject in its own right at a time when many were sceptical about its importance. He also contributed in other spheres of life: pastorally. musically and socially. Our sympathy goes to his family at this time.

  42. Martin Woolley says:

    When Richard was Head of ICT at Handsworth Grammar School, he took me on as ICT Technician to sort out the LTSP system, something that he was passionate about. Together, we took the IT provision to new levels of professionalism and reliability at the school. He made a difference to all that he met. He is sadly missed.

  43. Chris Meadows says:

    Having known Richard for a number of years, both as a friend and as a business associate I was always amazed at his ability to inspire the best in people. A great loss to freedom, education and the world as a whole.

    He will be greatly missed, my thoughts go out to his family and his many many friends during these sad moments.

  44. Kyle Williamson says:

    Richard gave six years of his life as chair of Schoolforge-UK. I never had the pleasure of meeting him in person, but I will always know he was a man of conviction and pride. He was an amazing visionary, and he will be sorely missed.

    RIP Richard

  45. Chris Puttick says:

    Surprised and saddened by this news. A loss to the world, to education, open ICT and me. He will be missed. Sorely.

  46. John Ingleby says:

    I met Richard at the Open Source in Education Conference at Anglia Polytechnic University six years ago, and he encouraged me to start the website that quickly grew into the Schoolforge-UK Association. He was a true educator, with the ability to draw out and inspire others in a way that made our rare meetings both fruitful and enjoyable. Although we’ve had less contact in recent years, it was always important to me that he was “on our side”, and I shall miss his valued friendship.

  47. Many happy times we shared in the Queens and with special friends listening to Pink Floyd. Field days spent in Mereworth Woods and in Lambes. Our thoughts are with you all.

  48. Karsten Gerloff says:

    So sad to learn about Richard’s death. He was an extraordinarily committed person, and inspired so many others. Richard, we miss you.

  49. I was shocked and saddened to hear of Richard’s death. I knew him only slightly from ACITT and Open Source conferences but remember him as an expert in his field and an advocate for Open Source software. His death is a loss for the IT community.

    He wrote an excellent article for the ACITT journal back in 2005 which can still be seen here.
    http://acitt.digitalbrain.com/acitt/web/resources/pubs/Journal%205/articles%20Journal%20Winter%202004%20Issue%20No%205/17

    My thoughts are with his friends and family in this time of grief and loss.

  50. Anne Kelsall says:

    I met Richard only three times, in examiner meetings. The first two occasions were some years back but then our paths crosssed again just a few months ago. His intelligence and passion for fairness shone through and I was looking forward to working with him in the future. I am saddened that this will not now happen. My condolences and best wishes to all his family and friends.

  51. Mel Horley says:

    Richard will be remembered by me, not for his vision in IT which was vast, nor for his passion for what he believed to be right, but for his kindness. If you asked for help, this would always bring out the best in him, and he’d make sure that he did everything he could. I also remember his work that he did for Crisis at Christmas, giving up his holidays to work with the homeless in London. But most fondly I’ll remember Pink Floyd nights and his love of music.

    I’ll see you on the dark side of the moon…..

  52. Barrie Mclean says:

    I knew Richard during his time at Sutton Valence School. I shared many an evening in his company at the Queens Head Pub in the village. He was a one off, a true Scholar and a Gentleman. I was amazed to here that he had moved to the Lye, as it is also where I now live, a far cry from rural Kent. I wish I could have bumped into him and shared an hour of banter, as only I remember he could. I will pray that this good soul rests in peace. God Bless you Richard, Rock on.

  53. Richard sang with Midland Opera for a couple of years, and to all of us he was an unassuming, smiley and likeable character with a good tenor voice and who was confident in his musicality.
    He could always be relied upon for an honest take on situations, and was just finding his solo voice when his business took off and he had to make more room for that particular passion. I had always hoped he might come back and make use of his singing voice, and I am very sad and shocked to hear of his passing.

    You can see Richard in action on our home page (midlandopera.com) during rehearsals for Eugene Onegin in 2005.

    The members of Midland Opera send condolences to RIchard’s family. You are in our thoughts at this sad time.

  54. Gordon McLean says:

    I knew Richard about 15 years ago at Sutton Valence and spent a few long evenings disecting various cheesy rock tracks and smoking far too many cigarettes. I remember him as an intelligent warm and giving man with a wicked sense of humour. One incident comes to mind of him grabbing some peace from a small child by challenging her to count the tadpoles in the garden pond, must have bought him a good 20 minutes…..genius!!

    Sad news, my thoughts and good wishes to his family and friends

  55. Tim Morris says:

    I met Richard a couple if years ago when he came to sing tenor in the chorus of Midland Music Makers (now Midland Opera). I got to know him just because I happened to stand by him; but I soon realised that he was, in a way, a kindred spirit and was such a fund of knowledge particularly on software issues. I found him friendly and approachable and most interesting to talk to. We communicated a few times by email also.

    What I hadn’t realised, however, was such his breadth of knowledge and interest and the esteem he was held in by others on many other walks of life – until I read the tributes on this site.

    His death comes a total shock.

  56. Ben Wallis says:

    Richard was the ICT Teacher when I was a pupil at SVS. Before meeting we both had a keen interest in Amateur Radio. I was at the time studying to become a licensed radio amateur. He was kind enough to arrange for my course from the local radio club to use the school as an examination centre.

    Richard was a very enthusiast teacher always encouraging ambition. He was kind enough to allow and trust me to build parts of the school network. This experience was invaluable and is one of the reasons I am now co-director of a communications company.

    I will never forget his unique home-brew beer and superb sense of humour.

    My sincerest condolences to Richard’s family.

  57. This is incredibly sad news. Richard was hugely helpful on the UKRiders mailing list where his suggestions and comments on all things open source (and beyond) were of great benefit to list members. I only met Richard once, at the Circuit Riders Conference in Birmingham last year, where he was passionate about getting the FOSS message over. You’ll be missed, Richard.

  58. I only knew Richard through his help and presence on the [ukriders] ‘circuit riders’ e-list, but from his contributions there I developed a great respect for him. I’m sure he will be deeply missed amongst us.

  59. John I Davies says:

    Richard and his M6-IT colleague Richard Smedley presented the most radical of the bids we had for the upgrade of the iT4Communities system in 2006. We went for a more conservative option in the end but the two Richards’ commitment to both Open Source and the highest technical standards was very visible and the quality of their bid almost made us throw away what we had and start again.
    I knew Richard only distantly. Others who knew him better will, and have, said far more significant things about him but the loss of such an activist intellect is a matter for special regret.

  60. Elliot Smith says:

    I had the good fortune to work with Richard on a couple of occasions, in his capacity as an open source advocate. I was struck by his dedication, passion, sense of justice, generosity, and intense love for technology. It makes me sad to think he’s not here to read about the respect and warmth he generated within the many communities in which he participated.

  61. Paula Graham says:

    I met Richard and batted emails back and forth over Free Software and had the greatest respect for him – both his work and for himself as a human being. I’m shocked and saddened by his loss and my condolences to his close friends and families.

  62. Morgan Killick says:

    I was shocked and saddened on hearing this terrible news. I met richard several times at UK Riders and other ICT events and spent a very interesting day with him here in Sheffield.

    He clearly had a huge and wide-ranging intellect but was always witty, approachable and good natured too. We may not have agreed on everything, but our relationship was strengthened by having such a respectworthy character as an adversary. I can’t bear to think of all that lost potential. He will be missed..

  63. Shaun and Joy Schofield says:

    We were all shocked to hear the tragic news of Richards death. We remember him well from our time at SVS. In particular when I needed an IT problem solved whether personal or classroom related he would always find time to help and usually solve the problem there and then ! He was always a cheerful and helpful colleague who I was pleased to work with. I remember him being very kind when we moved into Weald Cottage, where the Rothwell family had lived, before their move to Holdgate House. His achievements where many at SVS including the update of IT at the school which I always found an excellent system. He was a kind and generous person.

  64. Tamsin says:

    Richard was the guy I called when all our computers went wrong and the Internet stopped working and everyone looked at me like I was supposed to make it all right again. Luckily, Richard responded to an ad for an IT volunteer and he did make everything all right again. I will be eternally grateful for his vision, dedication and patience in getting Birmingham Friends of the Earths computers to actually function properly. I may not have gleaned much about slim clients but I could see how kind and committed he was. I will always remember and be thankful for that.
    The last time I saw Richard was up on the Clent Hills with his family. My heart goes out to them. I am so sorry and so sad that this has happened.

  65. Damon Christopher Loft says:

    Richard Rothwell was a teacher of mine at Sutton Valence School in Kent.

    I first knew him as my house master in Holgate House (junior boys boarding house). He gave me the strength to deal with being the smallest boy and easiest target of banter and abuse from my peers. I will always be grateful for his support and kindness in what was, looking back on it, a very hard time indeed.
    A formative time that has helped to make me succeed in whatever I have most wanted. I owe alot to him for that.
    He was, in my experience, very fair with all the students he had dealings with, he didn’t show favouritism or disgust no matter the scenario. He was quick with praise and as quick to be stern. An honest quality much missed today.
    When I knew him years later on a social scene he was as curious and friendly as before, he seemed to have a catalogue of jokes ready, some I have delivered myself hopefully with the same style he did. Truely a man who didn’t change his colours towards you, another very rare quality today.
    My hopes and prayers go to Linzi and the children.

  66. Phil Burrows says:

    Richard’s conviction, politics and wisdom have been an inspiration to us at Birmingham Friends of the Earth, where he kindly volunteered his ICT expertise.

    My enduring memory of him is when we had our ‘Paint Off’, in which he came to help paint our walls with yoghurt smelling eco paint. We ate cake and waggled our brushes to cheesy 60′s funk music whilst talking about how to right all the wrongs in the world.

    He is greatly missed by us.

  67. Atti Yue says:

    Theres another bright star loss in the sky – RIP Mr. Rothwell.

    My thoughts are with his beloved family & friends.

  68. caroline midwood says:

    I worked with Richard during the late 80′s,early 90′s at SVS. I have fond memories of working with him when he was housemaster for the junior boys. He was always ready to pause his work, and help you solve your problem, whether it was a computing or a pupil problem. His camper van was a welcome sight on cold nights in Merryworth woods. There was always a warming cup of tea served up with kindness and a good spoonful of wit…. I pause now, to thank you and to pass my heartfelt wishes on to all his family at this most sad time.

  69. Jamie Whitehouse says:

    I knew Richard through his daughter, and I have very fond memories of time spent in Southern France where I discovered, perhaps through a few too many glasses of wine, Richard’s passion for a great many subjects including philosophy, human rights, music and technology.

    He truly was an extraordinary person – genuinely self-less and committed to giving to others. His passion for his work, his family and his interests served to inspire those around him, including myself.

    Richard’s passing is the world’s loss, as he was, and still is, a one in a million person who can never be replaced.

    My heartfelt condolences go out to his family.

  70. Liz Floodgate says:

    Richard and I were both volunteers for Crisis and we worked together running different shifts at the same shelter over Christmas time. I was new to it all and he’d done a bit before. He was a lot of fun to work with, and had a interesting perspective on all the situations that we found ourselves in. I found myself looking forward to seeing him each day for the whole Christmas week.

    It really saddens me that this has happened. Even though I haven’t seen him at Crisis for a long time now, memories of him will always stay with me.

  71. Chris Carter says:

    It was a real shock to learn of Richard’s death. I got to know him while working for Crisis over a number of Christmases in the 1990′s. I was alo fortunate enough to get to know him outside Crisis.

    As with his other activities Richard was involved with many of the new and successful things that Crisis did to reach out to homeless people over Christmas. This though was incidental to his vision, perceptiveness, energy and his undaunted commitment to making things happen for those around him. Add to this humour, love of music, passion for making a difference and a range of well-founded opinions on many subjects, made for many enjoyable and wide reaching debates.

    To learn of his death seems unreal … and as other people have written, he will be very much missed. My thoughts are with the family.

  72. Caroline Faulkner-Aston says:

    I had not seen Richard for about 30 years but heard about his passing from a common friend. I am saddened to hear about the nature of his death and glad that the troubles he had have now gone for him. I have very fond memories of the days I spent with him in my youth and will treasure these. My thoughts go to Linzi and her family.

  73. Cypher says:

    Never did we meet, but digitally and through I felt he was truly excellent.

    His websites and postings to NO2ID and Birmingham’s Hackerspace lists showed he was truly learned man who loved to share ideas and stood up for software and individual freedoms in a way that everyman could understand.

    From the digital to the physical realm and beyond. Miss you Richard.

  74. Samir Mehta says:

    I was one of the fortunate students to have gained education and knowledge from him and even though I only knew for the two years I was at the sixth form, I knew enough to know that he was a nice and a honourable person. He had his very own unique and honest way of going about his life and always tried to make a better difference to the world we live in.

    He was honest about what he believed and told the world to others as he seen it which is why it is still hard to believe in the manner of his passing. He was a great example to this world and his efforts to get free software into education shows just one of the many ways he wanted to make this world a better place.

    He will be deeply missed and I wish someone can continue his efforts of open software as tribute to him and his beliefs. My thoughts are with his family and friends and I hope he finds peace.

  75. Shilpa Patel says:

    Mr Rothwell taught me computing at Handsworth Grammar School. Although i did not excel in the subject, Mr Rothwell always sat us down and taught us at a pace we could cope with. He also listened to my concerns as his student and i will always be very thankful to him for allowing me to continue with computing and helping me fight my way through the subject.

    I saw Mr Rothwell in April 2009, he was sat with a friend outside a bar in bham city centre having a good old cigarette. I said “hello sir” and he also looked at me and remembered me as a past student of his.

    I was very saddened to hear that Mr Rothwell is no longer here with us, but i hope that he has now found the peace he was looking for.

    RIP Mr Rothwell.

  76. Omar says:

    was my Information technology teacher back in Handsworth grammar school. Im honoured to have learnt from such a great teacher.

    Thank you for all those fun lessons, will be sorely missed….R.I.P

  77. Justin says:

    He was a superb teacher during his time at Handsworth Grammar School, with an understanding of the world far beyond my own. He’ll certainly be missed. Rest in peace Mr. Rothwell.

  78. Antonio Roberts says:

    I knew him little and met him only a few times yet he’s had such an impact on me and my work and indeed on the whole computing community. He’ll be surely missed.

  79. Jo Harris says:

    A great guy that I met though the joint love of education and open source. Helped me a lot with problems and solutions both personal and to do with oss. He was a funny, kind and intelligent man who will be greatly missed.

  80. Matt Wall says:

    Having been taught by Richard for several years I was deeply saddened to hear of his death. His teaching inspired me to use free software and I have been using software he recommended to me ever since. He changed my entire career plan and inspired me to work in the field of computers.
    He will be sadly missed.

  81. H Khan says:

    Well, I only learned of his death today by coincedently reminicing on my school days. Richard was my ICT teacher at Handsworth Grammar School for a brief time, where I was outstanded at his ability and passion for education, beliefs and general ideas. The world has truly lost a spark in Richard.

  82. Ben Mustill-Rose says:

    I was fortunate enough to have been taught by Mr. Rothwell throughout 2005/6. In that time, I don’t think there was a single lesson that I didn’t come out of without having picked up a nugget of valuable information; he was always able to make the lessons interesting and enjoyable which was pretty incredible since the qualification that I was working towards was rather monotonous.
    I always enjoyed hearing about his latest idea / project then the conversations that would follow where we would discuss it in more detail. It was then that his amazing technical ability coupled with his equally amazing intellect would really show; it was so nice to have a staff member who I could have a technical conversation with and that would actually be interested in what I had to say.

    I would also like to echo what others have said about his determination and willingness to help.
    In the rare situations where he would not have the answer to a question that a student would have, he could always be found in the corner of the room, typing franticly for however long it took for him to find the answer which he would then proceed to explain to the student for however long it took for him / her to fully understand it.

    Thanks for your great sense of humor, introducing me to pink floyd and for everything that you did for everyone at ncw.

  83. Fahad Khan says:

    He was my teacher at Handsworth Grammar School
    He must have remembered me for all the wrong reasons

    He was always a charming man full of passion and belief in all his students
    He had a legacy at Handsworth Grammar School, and his legacy still lives to this date

    My thoughts go out to his family and I hope they are able to pull through these hard times

  84. aladin says:

    i knew richard through both of us volunteering over almost 20 christmases at the cold weather shelters for http://www.CRISIS.org.uk the uk charity working with homeless people.

    he was a warm, empathetic, sensitive, modest man – low key, with a sardonic, laconic, dry wit. a very deep person

    richard was a stalwart at CRISIS, co-leading/running some shelter or other each year. we hugely enjoyed our daily glancing encounters as i wound my way around whichever site he happened to be at. we loved the craic and camaraderie and he was a very warm supporter of what i used to do there.

    last year he asked to follow me on twitter and i remember being chuffed that one of my CRISIS pals of yore was in touch. i wrote to him but didn’t hear back. just today i was going through my twitter followers i was shocked to discover he died shortly after he contacted me and i guess therefore BEFORE he received my email.

    richard enjoyed some wonderful, epic times at CRISIS – what a valuable, precious guy he will always be in my memories.

    xxxx

    aladin

  85. Andy Flisher says:

    Only found out this weekend of our loss whilst flicking through the latest Old Suttonian and an urge to google him to see what became of him post SVS, and saddened he chose to no longer be here, but glad he influenced so many people.

    Me, I’ll remember him for telling me he wouldn’t take me for GCSE Computer studies as it would be a waste of a GCSE (I wanted an easy one!) which actually stopped me from taking it as an A-Level when I moved schools at 16. Years (and no formal IT qualifications) later am starting a monday morning poking around in the darker side of a clients poorly Linux box. You were right, so thank you :-)

  86. Rebecca Duffell-Fortes says:

    I remember Mr Rothwell well from my time at SVS.
    He was a firm but fair man and showed me kindness when times were tough.

    I am sorry that I have learnt of this tragedy so late but my thoughts go out to his family.

    R.I.P sir.

  87. Steve Cherry says:

    I have just found this wesite and felt I had to leave a tribute.
    I have only spoken to Richard on the telephone when I took over the website of our church which Richard had started. I want to say thank you to him for the website which I continue to maintain. Rest in peace. Steve Cherry


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