Dear Mr Lowcock
May The Lord openly receive you into His Home the same way you heartily welcomed us into your home those hot summer days after soccer and cricket for a nice cooling drink of ice water. Your warm and sincere compassion will be sorely missed by my brothers and countless others in your DBS family.
Michael Tsang (曾文傑)
Dear Jimmy,
I am glad that I visited you on Sep 17, 2011 and had the opportunity to listen to your aspirations for financing students in need at DBS. Your passionate message of prioritizing student needs over buildings is crystal clear. Many of us have benefitted from your life-long commitment to broadening the learning experience and strengthening the social conscience of DBS students. You have passed on the baton. I am sure that many of us will carry on the run to help fulfill your dream.
May your soul rest in peace!
David T Fung at Vancouver (BC)
My name is Harn Kiatfuengfoo, a Thai student and class of ’65. I started Form1 and finished Upper6 between 1960-1967 and also a boarder.
His tenure as a headmaster for 22 years, there were 5,000 students and I am certain that he knew half of them personally and among them there must be about 100 that were very close to him who were known as god-sons. I am privileged to be one of those few. He even asked me to address him as Jimmy.
I have to admit that I gave him a lot of grief the first 5 years and he gave me a good caning in return. He is a man of vision. He did not allow me to take Physics in Form4 which he was the tutor, telling me that there is no way I could become a doctor. At that time I hated him, but today I am grateful because I have a good life and lots of family time.
When he decided that it was time to make a man out of me, my life took a 180 degree turn. He made me a prefect and the swimming captain. I did not disappoint him for DBS won A,B,C grades in swimming that year. He taught me that to make up deficiency in physique, I had to have a big heart. I carried that motto to every sports I participated in and the end result was I became the first recipient of Omega Sports Boy of the Year Award.
My final year at DBS he even trusted me to look after his house while he went on his rare vacation. When I left, I took with me a great lesson of life which no one could do better than the great man, Mr. Lowcock. Thank you very much and you lay in peace.
蝦餃 was the most DBS DBS boy 最拔萃的拔萃仔. In his times as the HM, boys from all walks of life, richer or poorer families, had chances of living and studying together, learning to respect each other, and doing their best in life in an honorable DBS way.
Lowcock is dearly missed.
Lee Wai Wo, Stephen (cert year 1972)
Even though I had not have much interaction with you when I was at school, your impression on me had been immense as a fair, caring, dedicated and much respected headmaster. You had guided our school with your heart and made DBS the school it is now. You will be sorely missed by the DBS family. Rest in peace, Mr. Lowcock.
Dr. Wayne Kwong
Class 1985
To : Family of Sir James Sidney Lowcock
亦師亦友虾餃佬
Mr.James Lowcock 上唇蓄了鬍子, 被同學冠以虾餃佬雅號.
虾餃佬一詞, 不褒不貶, 正好帶出了一個人的風格與氣質.
我就讀DBS期間, 校長是MR. Goodban, 虾餃佬是物理課老師, 他說話流暢,
詞鋒厲害, 富有幽默感, 上他的課, 沒有冷場, 不會打瞌睡. 教學態度靈活,
不會照課本讀, 不主張死讀書.
理科通常是學生們望而生畏的科目.不是受了他的感染,
相信我班不會有那麼眾多傑出的理科生,
50年代, 喇沙和DBS在校際田徑賽場中是一對歡喜寃家,
但不幸得很, 喇沙學校擁有Xavier和更多優秀好手, DBS常給比下去.
Xavier當年是100公尺, 200公尺, 全港紀錄保持者, 加上接力賽, 跳遠等項,
單是Xavier一人巳為喇沙拿下不少分數.
這時候, 虾餃佬不是體育老師, 但誰都看得出他在竭力培訓田徑運動員的努力和苦心,
風氣的持續, 終於有所收成, 創就了近40年來 [可能更多屆]
DBS在校運體育的輝煌成就. 錦標,勝利, 不需推崇, 維其Spirit, 積極,
參與態度, 就應該永記. 體育活動, 鍊就學子們堅毅, 上進, 奮鬥, 努力,
不畏失敗等等良好品格, 最值得DBS引以為榮.
馮以浤在閒談時, 曾經提及 Lowcock俠義為懷, 經常資助貧困學生,
使他們能夠完成學業, 一度弄至自己退休時幾乎財困. 但人間有情, 世間有義,
喜聞有一位學生, 樂助Lowcock 晚年生活. 這一個過程,
相信任何一個愛護這尊貴老師的人,都感到欣慰.
Mr. James Sidney Lowcock 亦師亦友,令人深切懷念.
鍾少煊
Class of 1955
Jan. 28, 2012
Dear Mr Lowcock
I am honoured to be part of the DBS family, and I am even more proud of
having you as my Headmaster。 Thank you for everything you had done for
DBS。
Paul Go
Class of 1981
I am comforted by the fact that many of my classmates and old friends were able to visit Mr. Lowcock during their reunion in November last year, and conveyed our gratitude for receiving us into the family that is DBS.
He was a tough master, but always fair, and always held the students’ welfare closest to his heart. He served as an inspiration to us all. He sets the highest standards, and never accepted excuses for failure. He was a stern disciplinarian who meted out punishment when deserved, and I came within a whisker of being caned. But he was also wise in understanding that boys will sometimes be boys, and knew when to turn a blind eye. And he did not make the school rules any longer than it already was. He knew when to protect us, and he knew when to let us fall and when to pick us up again.
He knew that education is of the utmost importance in our youth, but he also knew that strength of character was what determined our success. He sponsored all our efforts in both academic pursuits and in our extracurricular interests. He was a man we never wanted to disappoint, as that disappointment was more painful than our failures.
He set the standards against which we will be measured as a boy and as a man, and he held that bar high above our heads, daring us to achieve those heights. He was quick to criticize, his words were scathing and bitingly sarcastic at times, but that was when he threw down the gauntlet and challenged us to better ourselves.
He was kind and generous, opening his house to us after hours, where we saw his humor and wit as we sat in awe front of this living legend, intimidated by his very presence, yet feeling that warmth and kindness that he exuberates.
I don’t think anyone of us at the time really understood how much he loved our school and how much he loved each successive generation of students that passes its fabled doors. I don’t think there were many of us who truly appreciated how much he sacrificed for our benefit.
Sidney James Lowcock is a great man, and like all great men, he has his merits and his faults, but irregardless of whatever judgement or criticism we levy on his tenure, we all stand here mourning his passing, and we fondly remember our youth spent under his watch, we all treasure our time in this hallowed school, we all live in pride that we are DBS Boys. We are all a part of his legacy and a product of his achievements.”
