Dewey, John Frederick

• Dewey, John

29 September 1934 to 1 November 2017.
Born the youngest of 5 John grew up in South East London. During the war all of the children were sent out of London to live with other evacuee children in the countryside. It was discovered that he was the cleverest one in the family and went to Coffs Grammar School, where he was a keen member of the debating society, football, rugby and cricket teams.
In 1952 John went to King’s College, University of London, where he studied languages, and in 1955 he was awarded a B.A. Honours Degree in Modern Languages. He also gained a Diploma for Teaching English as a Foreign Language from Bonn University in Germany. His high level of language qualifications meant that he was taken on as a Graduate Trainee with Henry Gardner & Co, London.
John was appointed as a director of Henry Gardner & Co. and stayed with the company until 1974. His work entailed many overseas trips and he was heavily involved with the London Metal Exchange. In 1979 he was appointed director of the newly formed Strategic Metal Corporation and he stayed with that company until his retirement in 1989 at the age of 55.
It was during retirement that John’s love of Egypt and all things Egyptian really took over. He joined his wife, Peggy, who had been running Egyptology classes from mid-1988 for the Kent Adult Education community. Together they were instrumental in forming RAMASES, the Rainham & Medway & Swale Egypt Society. Once a year, John and Peggy took a party of students and other RAMASES Society Members on a trip to Egypt, often gaining access to sites not available to the Public. They arranged transport and accommodation, employing local guides and also formed lifelong friendships with other Egyptologists.
Holidays were spent in places such as Syria, Cyprus, Lebanon and Tunisia where anything of an archaeological nature was scrutinised, read about and discussed. Shorter trips to European cities were also organised for students, with the emphasis on Egyptian Exhibitions. Sadly, Peggy passed away in 2003 but John, with the support of his many Egyptology friends gained over the years, continued with his classes and trips.

-Inf. David Huggins and Alexandra Jane Watts (known as Sandie), John and Peggy Dewey’s daughter.