Stephen Charles Oxlade, who taught at Pangbourne College from 1973 to 1980, died after a short illness in a hospital in Bournemouth on 17th June 2026 aged 81. He leaves a wife Dee, two sons and a granddaughter. A Service of Thanksgiving was held at Long Barrow, Harbour View Crematorium, Lytchett Minster in Dorset on 9th July. Phillip Plato represented the College and the OP Society.

Steve attended Merchant Taylor’s School in Hertfordshire before going up to Oxford and getting a BSc degree at New College. He then did an MSC at Pembroke College, Cambridge before opting for a career teaching science. Arriving at Pangbourne from Shiplake College in 1973, where he had started to coach rowing as well as teaching Chemistry, he quickly established himself as “a teacher and coach of great patience and concern for his pupils” in the words of testimony given after his death.

In 1974 The Log records that “he deserted his wife and newborn son” to accompany the 1st VIII to the National Championships in Nottingham “but got scant reward” for his devotion. By 1978 he was running the Boat Club. Leaving Pangbourne at the end of 1980, he took up a similar position at Monkton Combe School near Bath, before moving to Cheltenham College and then to Bryanston School in Dorset.

Following Steve’s death, his family posted an affectionate tribute affirming that “he had a natural gift for encouraging others, whether in the classroom or on the water…he took great pride in seeing young people grow in confidence and skill.” Away from his work, he loved the outdoors and embraced adventure wholeheartedly. The family tribute ended: “Those who knew Stephen will remember his steady presence, his generosity of spirit, and his love of nature and simple pleasures. He had a way of bringing calm and perspective, and his quiet enthusiasm for life’s pursuits left a lasting impression on many.”