The entire College was deeply saddened by the death of Dr John Iles, on Saturday 8th June 2019, after a long illness, at the age of 72.
Dr Iles made a leading contribution to the College over many decades, playing an active role in College life.
He was appointed in 1979 as Mary Snow Fellow and Tutor in Zoology and as a University Lecturer, and over the course of his career served as Vice-Principal for Development, Senior Tutor, acting Senior Bursar, President of the Senior Common Room, Custos Hortulorum and Wine Fellow. He had a term as Acting Principal, and as Vice-Principal he led the process that resulted in the appointment of the current Principal of the College.
In 1992 he was elected Senior Proctor (see below, pictured with the 1992 University proctors, and flanked on either side by his two Pro-Proctors from St Hugh’s). He became an Emeritus Fellow upon his retirement in 2014.
Before coming to St Hugh’s, he held a Junior Research Fellowship at St John’s and then at Corpus Christi, having been an undergraduate Postmaster from 1965-68 then Senior Scholar at Merton.
The Principal, the Rt Hon Dame Elish Angiolini DBE QC FRSE, said, “The College has lost the most wonderful colleague and friend, and an outstanding academic.”
Dr John Iles is survived by his wife, Dr Susan Iles, an alumna of the College, their children, Nicholas, Matthew and Sophie, and their grandchildren, Felix, Martha, Carmen and Dita.
The funeral will be a private burial followed by a ceremony of remembrance and a celebration of his life for close family and friends at St Hugh’s College, on Sunday 30th June. There will also be a formal memorial service in Michaelmas Term on 9th November.
