George Rupert Hill b. 13 July 1959 – d. 15 December 2024.
With great sadness and respect, the Old Dovorian Club reports the passing of George Rupert Hill (Staff 86 – 21), Vice President of the Club, on Sunday morning, 15th December 2024, after finally losing his valiant battle with cancer.
Rupert was very much a family man. He is truly loved and held very dear by his family. His beloved wife, 4 children, and 4 grandchildren meant the world to him, his compass in life who were of great support and comfort to him, particularly during his illness.
They enjoyed their time together, whether it was watching rugby or cricket on TV, or just spending time together over a roast. These were precious moments that he cherished and that meant so much to him and his family.
Rupert, or Rupes, as he was known, despite his first name being George, was educated at Tonbridge School, where he rubbed shoulders with Chris Cowdrey, who went on to play first-class cricket and captain England. It was here that Rupert developed his love for various sports, particularly cricket, in which he became a canny spin bowler. From there, he went up to Oxford to read Geography, during which time he obtained a half Blue in Lacrosse.
After coming down from Oxford, he spent two years abroad teaching before joining the teaching staff at Dover College at the beginning of the academic year in September 1986 to teach Geography, a subject he continued to teach until his retirement in August 2021. Rupert had a distinguished career at Dover College, first becoming a House tutor in Leamington, a House he would later become Housemaster of. During his 35 years at Dover College, he also held the position of Housemaster of Crescent House, as well as being Head of Geography, he was also a member of the Senior Management Team at the school. His total commitment, care, and unwavering dedication to his pupils during his 105 terms of teaching, a landmark that will be unchallenged for a very long time at Dover College which has been admirably borne out by the wonderful messages posted on various Dover College and Old Dovorian social media platforms, all testaments to the amazing legacy he leaves with us.
From the very beginning of his time at Dover College, Rupert became an active member of staff within the Club through his love of sport, particularly cricket and rugby. When the school dropped rugby to focus on football, his love for sport ensured that he threw himself into supporting the Club and school football teams. On OD weekends, when the Club played the school, it was always a good match enjoyed by all. On many occasions, Rupert either played in the matches or umpired/refereed, for which he was duly rewarded with adequate claret on a number of occasions, which he was always partial to.
In the summer of 1990, the OD Club went down to Blundells School in Tiverton, Devon, to play a cricket match against the Old Blundellians to mark the 50th anniversary of Dover College’s evacuation to Blundells School at the start of the Second World War. During this match, Rupert’s canny spin bowling helped keep the Old Blundellians’ score down to a somewhat respectable level for the Club to chase after they had run away with the score rate in the morning session of play.
The OD Club team stayed over in a local hostelry for the night, and Rupert held court in his usual manner and good humour with a jug of ale in one hand and a glass in the other, pouring ale into everyone’s glass to help him celebrate his wicket haul. This was one of many memorable occasions, like the day a group of ODs met up at Lord’s to watch Middlesex play Surrey in 2022 in one of the Members’ suites. As usual, Rupert obtained a rather good claret, which was duly consumed in style. More recently, during the summer of this year, despite his illness and the effects of his treatment, he attended both of the Old Dovorian Cricket Club matches at Folkestone, sampling the benefits of a Guinness with friends and family.
Rupert’s support for the Club continued until his passing. He was a serving member on the Committee of the Club and the Old Dovorian Club Kent Group organiser, a job he grasped with both hands and relished the opportunity to bring ODs together. He was also the Club’s link to Dover College and was about to join the committee of the newly reformed Old Dovorian Cricket Club when his illness was diagnosed earlier this year, which unfortunately was not fulfilled.
However, he was still available for advice and support. Rupert was also known to grace various golf courses, mainly locally in Kent. He was always in his element when playing golf and other sports with ODs, and he also played with the OD Golf Society.
In 2021, Rupert became a Vice President of the Club, an honour he rightly and richly deserved for over 30 years of service and support for the Club, an honour he received as usual with grace and humility.
Outside of the Club, Rupert was also a member and great supporter of the Old Dovorian Lodge, which he joined on 1st October 1991, becoming its Master on 3rd February 1998. Rupert was also a member of Foreland Lodge in Dover, keeping up an established tradition where Old Dovorians and Masters of Dover College become members of Foreland Lodge. He also supported local cricket teams and regularly arranged cricket matches for them against the Dover Commoners and the Club, usually played at Maxton.
Rupert was a giant amongst mortals with his unlimited generosity and friendship to all ODs, both old and new, and to anyone who came into contact with him. He certainly left an indelible mark on the lives of those he encountered.
Rupert leaves us with a legacy that will be forever cherished by all Old Dovorians, and whose lives he touched. He will be truly missed by all, his gentle hand and nature having touched many during his rich life, which has been cut short far too early.
A cricketing poem In memory of this fine and much loved Old Dovorian, written by Matthew Jay (L05 -10) a former pupil of Rupert’s
Weeping willows formed an honour guard for the cricket ball writ with a noble name.
A team of ten, which had once been eleven would never be the same side again
No bails united the forlorn stumps, since this wicket had fallen some days ago and as the bowler delivered to the lone batsman, the hushed crowd willed for a six to go
The magical sound of leather on willow the sweet smell of freshly cut grass, a cricketer crossing the last boundary to a third innings that would forever last.
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