In memoriam Michael ( Mike) Parkhouse 1st January 1945-13th April 2025

We regret to let you know of the death of our great friend Mike Parkhouse on the 13th April. He had been ill for some years but Diana had, with great determination, managed to keep him comfortably at home. He died peacefully after a few days in hospital.

Mike came to Geneva as a Primary school teacher at LGB in 1971 where he first taught in the Chateau before moving to the new Primary building (now Middle School) where he and Mary Fletcher (Maccaud) had adjacent classes that they team taught, which was highly innovative at the time. He was appointed as the first  Principal of the new Primary school built at La Châtaigneraie after the creation of the Foundation. These were turbulent times at Ecolint and we remember Mike returning home distraught after yet another highly charged meeting but it did stand him in good stead for his later career. He was a hard-working professional who was often in school during holidays. At La Châtaigneraie, a newly arrived DG on a tour of the campuses was surprised to find a Principal already at work.

Mike and Diana, who also taught at Ecolint, moved to Pont Céard and became our neighbours. Their children Kathryn and Kenwyn were born in Geneva and both attended the school. Kathryn and our daughter Sarah were like sisters and when Mike and Diana moved back to the U.K., they were able to renew their close friendship as they now live fairly close to each other. We were able to see Mike and Diana regularly and enjoyed many good times together, in recent  years despite his failing health, we were pleased to see that Mike still responded when we visited.

Mike was proud of his Cornish roots, returning every summer and visiting his beloved Sicily Isles.

When Mike returned to the U.K., he did a Master of Education at Southampton University. He was then appointed as a headteacher at Brookhurst (Leamington Spa)  before becoming the headteacher of Shipston on Stour (near Stratford on Avon) Primary School (Sep 1987 - Jul 2004). He was proud to show us around his school and as we heard from the tributes at the funeral, Mike had been a highly respected head. His teachers found him supportive and described him as being sometimes a bit of a maverick, no doubt from his Ecolint experience! He enjoyed his contact with the pupils, knew them all by name and frequently went into classes with his guitar to give the teacher a break. After retiring from Shipston, he became a "parachute" headteacher in schools that were having difficulties. 

Mike was interested in a range of sports, particularly rugby but his great passion was golf. Appropriately, the meal after the funeral was at the Feldon Valley golf club, located in a tranquil Cotswolds valley, where he had been a founder member and the flag was flown at half mast in his honour.

All those who knew Mike will share our sadness at his passing but he is now at peace.

John and Liz Douglas