02/01/2026
Leslie Clarke: 1926-2026
Cathy Clarke has informed the ISAA that her father Leslie sadly passed away on New Year’s Day after a short illness. He was 99.
He was born in Barrow-in- Furness in 1926, the year of the general strike, and the same year as the late Queen Elizabeth II, Marilyn Monroe, Margaret Thatcher and David Attenborough.
He joined the RAF the day before the Japanese surrender in 1945, and liked to joke that they'd obviously heard that he'd joined up and decided that they might as well give up!
He got a place at Cambridge to study English, and met June - a local girl - through the plays they were both in. He started teaching after graduating and moved around the UK, wherever the work took him.
The family had already experienced a taste of the expat life (a 2 year teaching post with the British Council in Songhkla, Southern Thailand in 1963) when he and June took the plunge again in 1973, heading out to Hong Kong where he took up the position of Head of English at Island School. He spent 15 years at Borrett Road, but to the delight of his students, he became the weekend news anchor on one of the two English TV channels, ATV. He and June were regulars in Garrison Players and Molly’s Music Hall, and he also did some acting, appearing as a “Curator” in Golden Harvest’s “Zu: The Warriors from the Magic Mountain”, but Cathy’s biggest memory was as “Fagin” in the wonderful Island School production of Oliver! Chris Forse also recalls his role as Fagin in the 1978 production which Les co-directed with Marion John, saying “it was one of those productions which you could scarcely believe had been produced in a mere school". He also Directed "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in 1974.
Leslie and June returned to the UK in 1988, when he was 62, and after a few teaching jobs, he retired. After June died in 2014, he joined the local U3A, and enjoyed the bird watching, geology and French conversation groups. He also joined the creative writing group and produced a lot of wonderful pieces, mostly about his childhood. In 2016 he met Dee, through the U3A, and at the age of 90, fell in love and got married again, with his grandson, Tom Read (another Island School alum) as his best man. He had a wonderful 9+ years with Dee, which the family were absolutely delighted about and grateful for. They were very very happy indeed, and enthusiastic members of the U3A ukulele band!
Chris Forse remembers that Les was named Leon - after Trotsky - by his communist father, a ship builder in Barrow in Furness. In his later years he was known as Leo! His life was as colourful and varied as the names he has borne.
We send our condolences to Dee, his two daughters, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
RIP Mr. Clarke, you were indeed, in a class of your own.
