John Smart died suddenly in July 2024, at the age of 78.  He was educated at Nottingham High School, following in the footsteps of his father Richard Winsley Smart, and brother George Richard Martin Smart (‘Richard’), and he made many lifelong friends at the school, as well as excelling academically (Hon. Foundation Scholar 1964).  Many of his interests were formed during this time and he was Treasurer of the School Photographic Society, as well as playing and watching a lot of cricket.  He went on to Hertford College, Oxford, having won the Lusby Open Scholarship to read English in 1965.  He later did a B.Litt, choosing the nineteenth century essayist, historian and philosopher Thomas Carlyle as his subject. 

Following a PGCE at Durham University, his first teaching post was at Market Rasen Grammar School, from where he became a Master at Oundle School and subsequently Head of English and later Head of Arts at Gresham’s School in Norfolk.  He had a deep love of literature and an instinctive understanding of how to bring it to life for young people.  He inspired several of his pupils to train as English teachers themselves and as his colleague put it, will have been personally responsible for the inspiration of countless lifetime bookworms. Amongst the many letters and messages received with memories of John, one of the strongest threads is around his capacity to instil confidence and teach skills that far surpassed the requirements of any GCSE syllabus. Colleagues and pupils have a shared recollection of John as a person who would always see and subsequently bring out the best in those he encountered: ‘Mr. Smart encouraged me to believe in myself and my ability at a time when I had very little self-belief. I have never forgotten his kindness.’ 

John retired in 2006 and once again devoted himself to literary research and writing.  His biography of John Hayward, who flat-shared with TS Eliot for 11 years, ‘Tarantula’s Web’ was published in 2011 and was critically acclaimed. It was shortlisted for the Fisher First Biography Prize in 2013.  His second biography ‘Shores of Paradise’ concerned the poet and man of letters JC Squire.  His last article was published in the Thomas Hardy Society Journal a few weeks before he died. 

He married Sue in 1984 and became a beloved step-father to Isabel and Olivia. He was involved in the life of his local church and a much-respected part of the North Norfolk community. He was extremely popular and his gregarious nature and ongoing commitment to sharing literature, bringing music and words to life and encouraging young people in their writing ambitions continued until his final day.

(Written by John's Step-daughter, Isabel Hopkins)