The late Charles-Richard Vyvyan (Richard) taught Maths, led ski trips, and was the school archivist during his long-standing tenure at the International School of Geneva. Upon his retirement he remained active in the alumni association, staying in touch with his former pupils and colleagues, and contributing extensively to the alumni community online. As a special tribute to this remarkable man, the following sections include selected correspondence between Richard Vyvyan and members of the International School community over the course of many years.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Charles-Richard Vyvyan" 
To: "Richard McMullen" 
Subject: more sad news
Date: Tue, 2 Nov 2010 11:47:40 +0100


Dear Richard
 
It is some time since we have been in touch and, sadly, Jack Garstang's death (your Nov update) has been followed by that of Maureen Smith, who you wouldn't have known as she started teaching in the Maths Dept in 1978.  When the Middle School was set up in the mid-80s, she was appointed to run Maths in Grades 7 and 8, and so many alums. of the '80s and '90s will remember her fondly, as she was a devoted teacher.  She retired in 2003, so had a long career with us.  She was a very dear friend, and she was taken by a secondary cancer (so often fatal).  We put an announcement about her funeral on the administration's website this morning, but far more alumni read your excellent site, so is there any way in which you could mention time and place?  If so, the funeral is at the centre funéraire de Saint-Georges, 13 chemin de la Bâtie, Petit-Lancy at 3pm on Friday, 5th November.
 
Jack had a miserable last few years, but Jean has coped wonderfully with his Alzheimer's and his recent death (we are having lunch next week).  There was no ceremony.
 
I have seen the redoubtable Loïs twice recently: she is still full of energy - and very angry about the demise of the alumni association (killed off by being absorbed in the Development Office).  She was at the ceremony in the new archive room for the closedown of the Stereva Foundation last month, all Vicky's money having been spent on putting the archives in order and housing them properly.  The state archivists who did the work were splendid, and not at all the stuffy folk I had anticipated.  I just hope the school goes on funding an archivist after the enthusiastic Nick Tate retires next year.
 
One thing to ask you - I seem to have missed out on how to get onto your discussion site.  If you have a moment, could you let me know what I need to enter?
 
All the best
 
Richard

From: Charles-Richard Vyvyan
To: Richard McMullen 
Subject: Re: Fw: 2 Ecolint books
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:40:04 +0100

Dear Richard
 
Many  thanks for your reply.  I have just posted you George's book by the slow route, so hope it arrives in the next ten days.  On the IB, Ian Hill (who was G.'s deputy during his time there) has already written a history, but I don't recall any notice of publication.  I gave him a bit of help on the school's involvement.
 
Your descent on Texas sounds interesting.  I was looking at Azle on Googlemaps and it appears plesäsantly wooded; and the very direct agricultural names are amusing.  I liked your contrasting of Dallas and Fort Worth: I must have cousins still around, for my great-great uncle Thomas Hughes, who himself founded a bizarre colony in Rugby, Tennessee, encouraged his sons to go to the States and later published their letters home in GTT: Gone to Texas (1884).  I have just been reading excerpts on the Net and they were a pretty adventurous bunch, getting into fairly high power ranching and so on.  
 
Re other books, I remember the Velmans but just missed Lynette, who sounded very impressive.  I'll give your salaams to Othman and Mike.
 
All the best 
 
Richard
 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Richard McMullen 
To: Charles-Richard Vyvyan 
Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 10:43 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: 2 Ecolint books


Dear Richard,

It is great to hear from you. I enjoyed reading the first chapter of Moondrop on the Moho Books web site. The history behind Anne-Marie's exploits and the new book release is fascinating. It will be a pleasure to add her book, and the Maurette volumes, to our growing authors presentation. I have yet to read George Walker's book on Maurette. He would be an excellent resource to write a new book on the IB as well.

I have been exploring Texas in recent months and expect to remain here at least until the end of the year. Dallas-Fort Worth is a study in contrasts with the former being a very modern city while the latter retains a frontier character together with its strong cultural attractions like museums and an opera house. The annual stock show (mostly cattle) draws a large crowd from around the world.

[...]

For December, I am hoping to fit in a new book by Lynette Shi titled 'Introduction to Chinese-English Translation' and possibly the latest English translation from the Dutch by Hester Velmans. The Spring line-up is shaping up to be very exciting with the new Maurette and Moondrop additions. Please let me know if there is anything else to include.

Please extend my warm regards to Othman Hamayed and to Mike Rowe.

All the best,
Richard




----- Original Message ----- 
From: Charles-Richard Vyvyan 
To: Richard McMullen 
Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 5:19 PM
Subject: Re: EOL Ecolint Online Update #174 - November 2009 

 
 Dear Richard
 
It is an age since we last corresponded and I have been meaning to get in touch since George Walker's slim volume on Maurette was published in June.  Yesterday another Ecolint book was republished: Anne-Marie Walters's Moondrop to Gascony, so now is the moment to let you know of the two in case you haven't already heard.
 
I plan to send you George's book as I am sure you would like to publicize it in your excellent series.  There is a translation in French too: done by Othman Hamayed who you must have known.  Othman has also been commissioned by Nick Tate to write another history of Ecolint and we met in the archives last week.  I translated all the French quotes into English.  If you don't already have it, could you give me your address to which I can send it?  The school alum. office is marketing it at 15Fr, but there may by now be a US outlet (I suggested the UN bookshops in NY and GE).
 
The initiative for a new edition of Moondrop was taken by David Hewson, a former British Army officer who has lived in Gascony for 15 years.  He has written an introduction and postlude describing A-M's life before and after her exploits, and he naturally approached the school for information.  I had the good fortune to come into the archives office just after he got through to Mike Rowe for the first time, so I was also able to have a chat with him.  By coincidence their greatest friends, Mike and Sue Walter (another coincidence) in the area happen to be friends of mine, Mike off and on since I was 12 years old; so I am even more delighted.  The foreword is written by MRD Foot, the doyen of British war historians - quite a coup.  It is very readable (I retrieved the battered copy she gave to the library in 1946 and thoroughly enjoyed it), so I think many alumni would be interested.  It is published in England by Moho Books at £14 and their website is  www.moho-books.com
 
I have a few other things I should like to have mentioned, but I shall come back to them later.   Meanwhile, I hope all goes well with you.
 
Yours ever
 
Richard
 
PS  Copy to your other address, just in case

 

At 02:54 2013-07-04, Charles-Richard Vyvyan wrote:
Dear Richard and Grace,
 
To save Richard the trouble of forwarding my explanations, I am writing to you both.  The scan from Alex is indeed terrific - we couldn't do better - but it had great difficulty getting off my 'launching pad', so grateful to R. for sending it.
 
René-François Lejeune is next to Ld. MtB.  Funnily enough, at his Requiem Mass (an impressive 2-hour affair, followed by another 2 hours' wake) everybody referred to him as simply René Lejeune; so he chose to use R-F for Ecolint only, perhaps because his son was also René.  The exact date is 25th Sept 1971.  Is RMcM. to be spotted?  I think I was sitting off left.  Bearded Don Cooper  3rd row by the aisle; and Alex's gang clearly identifiable - I knew them all!
 
All the best to you both, and good luck with the article, Grace.
 
Richard
 
 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Richard McMullen 
To: Charles-Richard Vyvyan 
Sent: Tuesday, July 02, 2013 10:02 PM
Subject: Re: Fw: First IB diplomas - Lord Mountbatten


Dear Richard,

This scan is terrific. Just to clarify, is that Rene LeJeune on the right of the podium?

And to confirm the date of the photo as September 1971.

I will be glad to pass this along to Grace with the photo credit instructions.

All the best,
Richard

At 04:32 2013-07-02, Charles-Richard Vyvyan wrote:
Dear Richard
 
I have just received this excellent photo from Alex, with amusing comment, so I won't delay forwarding it.  Rather big file, so hope it goes.
 
I can asure you it was taken by François Martin, and it was not at graduation, but the following September at a special ceremony.  One of my Higher Level students, Gary Norton, was not there, as he had already begun College in the US.  Please make sure it is suitably labelled, as explained.
 
In haste,
 
Richard
 
 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Alejandro Hernan Rodriguez-Giovo 
To: Vyvyan Richard 
Sent: Tuesday, July 02, 2013 12:05 PM
Subject: First IB diplomas - Lord Mountbatten

Dear Richard,

Please find attached the requested photograph. 

A salient feature from my narcissistic perspective is my presence on the third row from the bottom, to the right of the steps. There are some other characters clustered around me whom you may conceivably have come across at the time: Jeff Kaplan, Joseph Rochlitz, Zahir Bashir, Grant Lu, Christopher Robinson and Janko Stanovnik.

Warm regards,

Alex

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Charles-Richard Vyvyan
To: Grace Lewis, Richard McMullen
Subject: Re: Picture of Peggy Ray
Date: Sun, 16 Jun 2013 13:19:18 +0200


Dear Grace
 
I only have the fairly poor photo in the 1974  history of the school, but the photogapher was François Martin (official school photographer whose wife taught at the school).  After his death his daughter Peggy gave us a large number of originals, which are in our archives.  I could ask Alex Rodrigez, the current archivist if  he could help.  Peggy stipulated that any of his photos used in publications must acknowledge their origin.  Glad to hear Peggy Ray will feature - I knew the family.
 
I am rather busy at the moment, so I don't know when I shall get to Alex.  Richard - I must get in touch soon!
 
Best wishes
 
Richard Vyvyan


----- Original Message ----- 
Subject: Picture of Peggy Ray
From: Grace Lewis 
To: Richard McMullen, Charles-Richard Vyvyan 
Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:32:40 +0100

Hi both,

Sorry to bother you once again but I am trying to track down the attached image of Peggy Ray receiving her diploma from Lord Mountbatten in 1971.

I wondered whether wither of you would have access to the original image that you could send me? Peggy is going to feature as our Alumnus subject for the anniversary edition of the magazine and so it would be great if we were able to print the photograph - the attached image is far too pixelated.

You have both been of great help so far, so thank you again for your time and effort.

Kind regards,
Grace