3 May 1967 - 3 July 2024
The community of St John’s College will be saddened to hear of the passing of an exemplary Johannian, Adrian Walton, who was Head of School in 1984. Adrian succumbed to his battle with cancer at a relatively early age on 3 July 2024. He was 57 years old.
Adrian was born in Nairobi on 3 May 1967. His family moved to Johannesburg in 1971, and in 1973, Adrian joined the Pre-Prep and went on to become a Pre-Prep survivor when he left the College in 1984. As a schoolboy, Adrian was the epitome of a worthy Johannian. His impressive achievements in sports and cultural events were numerous.
He was an active member of the Debating and Public Speaking clubs and a member of the elite ‘399 Society,’ where members explored aspects of science, philosophy, finance, and politics. Adrian loved singing and played the role of Josephine in HMS Pinafore before his voice broke. Adrian also played the eponymous role in the Shakespeare production of King Henry IV, Part One. A reviewer commented on his excellent portrayal of King Henry with the delivery of “intimidatingly long speeches.” In his final year, he won the school prize for Music (Choir) and the Andrew O’Dowd Public Speaking medal. He was a Cultural Tie holder.
Adrian also excelled on the sports field. He was proficient in the 400m race, hurdles, long jump, and triple jump. Adrian played for the First XV rugby team as a fullback and served as the team secretary. He also played for the First XI cricket team and served as Captain. In his final year, Adrian was awarded the Old Johannian Bowling Prize.
Despite being Head of School with all its responsibilities, and involved in numerous cultural and sports activities, Adrian also took on the editorship of the Johannian magazine. In a succinct but inspiring editorial, ‘A P N WALTON’ wrote on the value of the interdependence of the School and its community, the necessity of acting complementary, and nurturing inseparable ties. He concluded: “Perhaps the message I am trying to convey could be summed up in the words of Albert Einstein: ‘A hundred times a day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labours of other men, living and dead and that I must exert myself to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.’”
Adrian enjoyed a significantly successful career in the banking and IT world. He worked as a Senior Business Leader in finance and operations. In this intricate financial environment, Adrian acted as a transformation and change executive. He was widely acknowledged for his skills globally in business analysis, stakeholder and change management, risk management, strategic planning, and investment banking. He was praised by his peers for his delivery of complex and highly technical workstreams in very short timescales. It was said that Adrian always maintained a calm, professional approach, even when faced with genuinely unprofessional behaviours. Adrian was a listener, making people feel valued, excelling in team building, and creating effective networks and financially compliant programmes. Adrian worked mainly in the UK but also spent some time in India as Head of Global Analytics for the Royal Bank of Scotland. Before his passing, Adrian had been working at Investec Bank.
Even though Adrian worked extremely hard, he made time to pursue his love for rugby and cricket. In the UK, Adrian played for the Old Blues Rugby Club and the Brooke Cricket Club. He was a highly valued player at Old Blues. In a moving tribute by the club, he was described as “totally self-effacing. He never looked for recognition or praise but just delivered.” Also: “What a player, what a man! Barrel of a chest, to hold a huge heart.” Adrian was picked and capped on at least three occasions for the Surrey County XV. After he stopped playing, Adrian became a coach for the Old Blues. Even after he had moved to India, Adrian remained an avid supporter of the English teams both in the stadium and on TV. Later, many hours were spent at Twickenham and Lords, following the British Lions to South Africa and New Zealand. He managed to squeeze in the occasional game of golf.
Adrian remained in contact with his Old Johannian pals and old staff members throughout his life. He was planning to meet up with his year in July 2024.
The quintessence of Adrian’s life was caring for others. Most of his time was spent with people. Adrian’s sister related that even in his last days, Adrian was supporting her friend who was having a tough time in chemotherapy.
St John’s College salutes a great Johannian who truly lived a life embodying the values of Lux, Vita, Caritas.
The St John’s Community extends its heartfelt condolences to Helen, his widow, his mum Bridget, and his sister Theresa.
