A “generous and inspiring” teacher who shared his teaching skills across the world will celebrate his 100th birthday next week.

Dr Percy Evans, who has lived in Hampton for 63 years, was born on July 4, 1911.

He was born in Aberfan, south Wales, and was the eldest of three high-achieveing brothers, who all gained scholarships to Cardiff University.

It was while at the university that he met his future wife Christina Gibby.

Following studying for an MA in history in London, Dr Evans secured his first teaching job at a school in Islington.

However, an urge to see new places saw the promising teacher move to Kenya to teach, where he married Christina in Njoro in 1944.

Starting off his career in the African country as head of Egerton Agricultural College, Njoro, his good grasp of Swahili and popularity with the locals saw him quickly progress to education officer with responsibility for the area.

On a furlough in England in 1947 Dr Evans was offered a position at London University Institute of Education, and so the couple and their two eldest children, Marilyn and Glyn, remained in England, settling in Hampton, and thus missing the Mau-Mau uprising, which happened soon afterwards.

Yet 11 years later the family, which now included two more sons David and Philip, were soon to swap Richmond for more tropical climes, after Dr Evans was offered a job reporting on education in Jamaica in 1958.

His daughter Marilyn Checkley said: “His ability to get on with other cultures was again demonstrated when Daily Gleaner (a Jamaican newspaper) asked why an Englishman was telling them what to do; he replied that he was Welsh, and Wales had been the first English colony.

“Thereafter he was greatly loved and his report eventually made a significant contribution to Jamaican education.”

The Evans family returned to England in 1960 and Dr Evans has remained in the family home in Church Street ever since.

His wife, who shared the same birthday as him, died last November.

Mrs Checkley said: “He was greatly loved by all his students, who found him a fair, generous and inspiring teacher.

“He was a devoted husband, and has found his loss very hard. Was also a devoted father, adept at making up enthralling bedtime stories, still remembered by all his children and grandchildren.”

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