My husband, Richard Leeson, who has died aged 90, was a gifted linguist, instructor and educational chief who turned deputy director of Ealing School of Increased Training, in west London.
Dick’s first managerial position was as head of the varsity of liberal arts at Ealing School of Expertise (1971-75). He chaired the Liberal Arts Board of the Council for Nationwide Educational Awards, the place he was liable for making certain each the standard of non-university establishments and their liberal arts programmes. He turned identified affectionately inside the educational neighborhood as “Mr Liberal Arts”. He then turned performing vice-principal and performing principal (1975-77), after which deputy director, of Ealing School of Increased Training (now referred to as the College of West London), retiring in 1996. As deputy director, he was liable for making certain the prime quality of all of its programmes, and continued to show, as soon as a fortnight, a course he created, the Critique of Translation.
Born in Southampton, the one little one of Dorothy (nee Billinghurst), a housewife, and Leonard Leeson, a sheet-metal employee, Richard was evacuated to the Hampshire countryside in 1939. Again in Southampton after the second world conflict, he went to King Edward VI college, then a grammar college based for the poor. He was one of many first kids to undertake a scholar change, first to Germany after which to France.
On finishing his A-levels, he did nationwide service within the RAF and was chosen for the Joint Providers Faculty of Linguists (an elite squad) to review Russian, in his case, at Cambridge College. As this was through the chilly conflict, the federal government sought individuals who would have the ability to interrogate Russians in Russian. He by no means really had the chance to take action.
Dick then learn French and German at Keble School, Oxford. After graduating, he taught languages at Boteler grammar college, Warrington (1956-59), and King Edward’s college, Birmingham (1959-64), and Lanchester Polytechnic, Coventry (1964-71).
Discovering the out there French instructing supplies woefully insufficient, he wrote a sensible and instantly helpful e-book, Voyage à Paris (1971). His MPhil, which centered on bettering language instructing by understanding how language is acquired, resulted in a second e-book, Fluency and Language Instructing (1975).
On retirement, and for the next 10 years, Dick turned an adviser with Residents Recommendation in Wimbledon, south London, the place he had lived since 1986. He centered on serving to purchasers in crippling debt, coaching different advisers in debt work in addition to endeavor jail visits geared toward lowering reoffending by serving to prisoners perceive cash. He had an exceptional zest for all times, historical past, journey, bridge, the Guardian crossword and Southampton soccer membership.
Dick had two daughters, Helena and Nicola, with Audrey Jackson, whom he married in 1957. The wedding led to divorce in 1989. Dick and I met at Ealing School of Increased Training the place I used to be lecturing in regulation, and we married in 1991.
Helena predeceased him. Dick is survived by me, Nicola and two granddaughters, Rebecca and Rachel.
