OBITUARY

Evening Star, Issue 22444, 15 September 1936, Page 8

OBITUARY

MR GEORGE ANNAND SIMMERS The death at Invercargill yesterday of Mr George Annand Simmers removes a prominent educationist and a gentleman highly respected for bis personal qualities. Mr interests before his retirement from the teaching profession were not only academic, for he actively participated in various sports. He was born at Melbourne in 1858, and accompanied his parents to New Zealand when he was four years of age. They settled at Otepopo (now. Herbert), where he received his primary education, and in, .turn was later a pupil teacher. Following a period atthe Training College, Mr Simmers attended Otago University and obtained the M.A. degree .with first class honours in science. His academic brilliance was recognised in the award to him of a University Scholarship. He taught at Ngapara and was then appointed a tutor at the Training College, later being appointed head master of the Ashburton High School and then, rector of the Timaru Boys’ High School, a position which he held until 1915, when he resigned because of ill-health* His leisure hours were partly occupied for several years as accountant to a firm of Timaru lawyers, and he subsequently resided at Stewart Island* While at the University the deceased took a lively interest in sport, and was a member of the Rugby team that played the first match against Canterbury, College. He was also a fine bowler, and was associated with the late Mr Gow, school inspector, of Timaru, in winning the Dominion pairs championship. . He was, further, an excellent shot with. the -rifle, and while a' member of the now defunct North Dunedin Rifle Club, was one of the team that won the ladies’ challenge shield* Incidentally, the Hon. Robert M‘Nab was also m the team. In 1892 Mr Simmers married Miss I. G. Wallace, who predeceased him two years ago. They had a family of six sons and one daughter, Mrs C. Smith, of Stewart Island. Wallace, the eldest son, represented Canterbury at Rugby, and was killed in the Great War. Robert is the Public Works engineer at Greymouth, and Keith is the assistant railways engineer for Canterbury. James is living at Stewart Island. Alexander is a master at the Timaru Boys’ High School, and Ritchie, who on two occasions accompanied Sir Douglas Mawson’s expedition to the South Pole, recently left for America under the terms of a travelling scholarship. MR IRVING THALBER6 Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright HOLLYWOOD, September .14. (Received September 15, at 1.45 p.m.) The death has occurred of Mr Irving Thalberg from lobular pneumonia, after a week’s illness. [Mr Thalberg was director of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture productions. He was married to Norma Shearer, the actress.] OSSIP GABRfLOWITSGH DETROIT, September 14. (Received September 15, at 2 p.m.) The death is announced of Mr Ossip Gabrilowitsch, following a long illness. [Ossip Gabrilowitsch was one of the best-known Russian pianists, who gave up a brilliant virtuoso career to become conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He studied musie under Liadov and Glasounov, and piano under Leschetizky, in Vienna, making a debut in Berlin in 1896. During the 1925-26 season Gabrilowitscli appeared as soloist with the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, to commemorate his appearance with that famous organisation at his debut ia America 25 years ago.]