Fraser Pakes CO55

In the last edition of The Truronian 2023/24, we were delighted to share even more stories about just a few of our Old Truronians who have kindly shared their journeys after leaving Truro School with the Development and Alumni Relations team.

“I was not happy at first. I came to the school as an ’emmet’ (my family having relocated from Bournemouth to Truro) and as such went through the usual rites before acceptance. However, as time went by, I came to value what was there and by the Sixth Form, I was thoroughly enjoying my life. I liked that the teachers treated us in an adult way so that when it became time to leave, I felt the time was right to enter the adult world. I was, though, truly sad to end my time there.”

Adjusting to a new environment can be challenging, especially as a newcomer. However, the transition from initial discomfort for Fraser, to eventual contentment highlights the supportive Truro School education.

“I remember my favourite place in the whole school was the library. It was those green upholstered easy chairs that gave me a feeling of luxury and importance. Lining up at the tuck shop. Hurrying in and out of the damp, cold, outside toilets. The common room with its table tennis table. Sitting in the Chapel. The smell of wet mud carried back from a cross-country run in the pouring rain. The horror of ‘open’ days when despite our efforts to put them off, our mothers turned up in full regalia.”

From the comfort of the library to the camaraderie of the common room, these memories paint a vivid picture of what was the daily life at Truro School. They are a testament to the blend of academic, social, and extracurricular experiences that contribute to the unique character of the School.

We asked Fraser what kind of career he had aspirations for whilst a student here: “Mr. Penna (Teacher of Geography 1945-1979), suggested to me, after I gave a talk to the class about American Indians, that I should think of anthropology for a career. Advice sadly too late for me as I was in my last year at TS and would have had to have studied Latin in order to gain acceptance into a university programme. I did not have that course covered.”

Fraser did consider a completely different career altogether however: “After I had written reports on two of Mr. Penna’s cycle tours, a review of a school play, and an essay selected by Mr. Willday (Teacher of English and Deputy Head 1921-1960) for the Truronian magazine, I fancied myself as potential journalist material. However, after comparing the West Briton to the streets paved with gold in London, I took the train to that city to seek my fortune and side-tracked first into the fashion industry, and then to British Overseas Airways Corporation (now British Airways) as an air steward.”

Fraser also undertook National Service for a time, serving with the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry in Bermuda and Germany before attending teaching training college and settling into a teacher career.

In 1969 Fraser emigrated to Canada where he went on to experience twenty years working on Canadian First Nations reserves variously as teacher, principal, director of education, and as ethnographer for a tribal cultural centre.

“My lifelong interest has been North American Indian history and culture. This interest led me in 1969 to leave England for Alberta, Canada, to work for the indigenous people there on (variously) the Kainai, Piegan, Cree/Chippewa, Stoney reserves in that province. I worked as a principal of the various reserve schools there as well as a sometime Director of Education on the Stoney reserve. For a few years I was seconded to the Nakoda Institute, an interpretative centre operated by the Stoney Tribal Council, I wrote papers, and was a conference speaker, as well as replicating items of culture, and even joining in religious rites and powwows.”

“Working for indigenous peoples anywhere is rewarding. Once the community has accepted you are not there to missionize, rip them off financially, and are prepared to stay, they usually warm to you. You have, as a teacher, to be willing to rethink everything you have been taught in training. For instance, before embarking on what is to you a fascinating lesson on subtraction, you may have to know whether the student has had breakfast or has had any sleep that day. When I began teaching on the reserves in 1969 the ‘white’ teachers were in full control. Now indigenous teachers are rapidly taking control of their schools, so that outsiders are seeing their position differently. Adaptability and the ability to listen are keys to outsiders’ success.”

Fraser told us what he was particularly proud of thinking about his career. “I’m pleased that I was able to encourage a number of my indigenous students, suffering from economic and social difficulties, to persevere through university and college training and, as I challenged them ‘put me out of a job.'”

Helping students overcome challenges and achieve their potential is a profound source of pride for any educator, reflecting the lasting impact a teacher can have. He advises anyone reading and thinking about a similar career to consider the importance of cultural sensitivity, adaptability, and the willingness to understand and address the fundamental needs of students.

Away from his work, Fraser’s brother Martin Pakes CO61, is also an Old Truronian. Fraser is married to Marie, who incidentally was at Truro High School when he was at Truro School. “We had gone our separate ways, me to Canada and she to Venezuela and Spain. We got back together when she joined me in Canada some 25 years ago. We live on Vancouver Island and apart from England, head off when we can to Madrid, where she had worked as an ESL teacher and batik artist. Her daughter Susie lives nearby in Victoria.”

Fraser also has a daughter, Tonya, from my first wife, Josy, who was a Kainai (Blackfoot), and an adopted son, Todd, both of whom have very sadly passed away. There are four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren from that marriage.

In his down time, Fraser’s other interest is the poet and novelist Thomas Hardy. “Through the years I built a substantial library on, and about him. I visited all the significant places in his life, including of course, the Rectory at St Juliot in Cornwall where he met his first wife. I recently donated the collection to the Thomas Hardy Society where it will be digitalised and available for student research.”

Fraser’s closeness to Cornwall still lives on also in his group of friends from the Class of 1955 who he has kept in contact with. Namely, Mike Standen and Ben Luxon*, in the USA.

From Fraser’s varied career path, to his commitment to indigenous communities, and a lifelong passion for learning, and now continuing to engage with his interests and contribute to academic and cultural preservation, his story serves as an inspiring testament to the enduring influence of a supportive and dynamic educational environment and saying yes to opportunities. Looking ahead into retirement, Fraser continues to research and write papers on the Plains Indians and looks forward to staying in his “world of books, music, and sitting by the sea.”

*Benjamin Luxon sadly passed away on Thursday 25 July. See page 107 in The Truronian 2023/2024 for an obituary.

Are you an Old Truronian? Can we share your story in The Truronian? Simply complete the interview questionnaire online or contact the Development and Alumni Relations team at [email protected]. We want to hear from absolutely everyone – every single Old Truronian story is interesting and important.