Sam Heafield – Obituary

Sam Heafield
Obituary

Sam Heafield - 1917 to 2010

1917 – 2010

Sam Heafield was born in Leeds on Boxing Day, 1917, the younger son of Samuel and Hilda.
In 1931 he gained a scholarship to Rugby School where he excelled in several sports notably rugby, cricket and gymnastics. In 1938 he obtained a teaching certificate at Borough Road College and went on to take an Honours Diploma in Physical Education at Loughborough in 1939. Whilst at Loughborough he was a member of the gymnastics team invited to the international exhibition in Stockholm, 1939.

The war was upon him immediately, and his military career can only be described as meteoric. In 1939 he enlisted as a private in the Leicestershire Regiment: by 1947 at the age of 28, he became the youngest colonel in the British Army. He spent his war in India with the 3/5 Royal Ghurkha Regiment.
His career in teaching was no less meteoric. P.E. teacher at Kingswinford, Staffordshire, where he met and married Margaret Sadler, he was appointed County P.E.Organiser in 1949 and then, in 1959 to Head of P.E. at Madeley College, originally sited at Nelson Hall before it moved to its new, purpose built facilities at Madeley.

Immediately upon opening, Madeley College was officially appointed as one of the ten specialist “Wing” colleges of Physical Education and it was here that Sam’s leadership skills became legendary. Under his guidance, the college grew in numbers and reputation. Above all, Sam was concerned to promote excellence in teaching but many Madeley students achieved international honours in various sports including: rugby, athletics, gymnastics; water-polo, swimming (2 Olympic captains), canoeing and in soccer several students went on to play professionally. All of these achievements were testimony to the growing reputation of Madeley as a centre of sporting excellence, although the development of teaching skills remained its main focus.

Sam retired in 1978; Madeley College was closed in 1983.

Sam leaves a son, Simon and daughter in law, Sue; his wife Margaret pre-deceased him.

Alan Hargreaves (August 2010)

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