TOFIELD George John P
1964 – 1968 and 1970 – 1997
Taught for 33 years at Kings.
Vintage car enthusiast. Died at Mosgiel 13.4.2004.
Old Boy of the School 1947 – 1951
From the 1997 School Magazine
George Tofield’s retirement at the end of this year will mark the end of an extraordinary 38 year association
with King’s. A former pupil (1947-51), George attended Otago University and Dunedin Teachers’ College. There followed a six-year teaching stint in Wellington
(Naemai College and Scot’s College) until his eventual return to King’s in 1964.
His main teaching areas in the sixties were History and Geography but such was his versatility he also taught English, Commercial subjects and even Junior Science. For several years he also worked as a part-time tutor at Otago Polytechnic and in 1969 took up a full-time position there. He returned to King’s. The following year to a PR in what was then called slow learners and his association with King’s has been unbroken ever since. A change of job description saw him establishing the Transition 😮 Work scheme and it is in this area particularly that large numbers of former students will acknowledge his almost uncanny ability to obtain work placements that often led to ;ermanent jobs.
George was also active in educational areas outside King’s. He was a member of the University of Otago Council for 11 years and also served on the PPTA, as regional chairman for 5 years and one as Otago representative on the national body.
An early love-affair with the internal combustion engine blossomed into a life-long passion for cars, particularly vintage cars and motorcycles. Two of his best loved restorations included a Bull-nose Morris Oxford and of course the legendary Alvis, which he still has. He has also restored four vintage motorcycles, the last one being a Velocette owned by Tom Parkinson. His motoring interests led to an 18 year period of service on the Council of the Automobile Association, serving as committee member and chairman of the Vintage Car Club, and membership of that famous institution for aging bikes, the Ulysses Club.
In retirement George is planning to indulge in some overseas travel, to be involved in organising the National Motorcycle Rally in Dunedin in 1999 and to drive the Alvis in the NZ Vintage Car Rally in the year 2000. He has also expressed the desire “to be a plague to his children” and to live to the full the Ulysses’ club motto “Grow Old Disgracefully”!