Bill Impey (1938 – 2026)

Emeritus Fellow Alexander William (Bill) Richard Impey died peacefully in Rottingdean Nursing Home in Brighton on 25 July 2026.

Bill first joined the Oxford Centre for Management Studies (OCMS) in 1967, jointly serving as Administrator of the Oxford University Business Summer School (OUBSS) until 1972. He was appointed OCMS Domestic Bursar in 1968 and went on to become Estates Bursar of Templeton College. He became an Emeritus Fellow of Green Templeton College following the merger of Green and Templeton colleges in 2008.

From its early years Bill was the active embodiment of the OCMS (known as ‘the Centre’) service support culture, personifying the ethos set by founding director, Norman Leyland. The buildings, grounds, hotel and catering, service and welfare, were Bill’s areas of oversight. Consideration for all who spent time at the Centre, in the environment that he devoted so much of his life to creating, was his priority as the OCMS grew, matured and evolved into Templeton College.

Bill’s influence and example were the benchmark for helping to provide the friendly, comfortable, relaxed, learning-conducive, surroundings for all who came to study at OCMS and later Templeton College whether for short stay executive programmes or for extended study as graduate students.

Together with Norman Leyland, Bill had a talent for identifying promising young professionals early in their careers and developing long-term OCMS working relationships. This included choosing Richard Burton, Ahrends Burton and Koralek (ABK) as architect for the OCMS (now Egrove Park) residential executive centre, a relationship which continued throughout the seven subsequent modular developments of the building and when securing the Grade II listing of the building; commissioning John Makepeace, later to become one of the UK’s best known contemporary furniture makers, to make the Centre’s first library and bedroom desks; and engaging UK tree specialist, Alan Mitchell, to advise on the development of the OCMS grounds, particularly the extensive tree planting which resulted in the lovely woodlands of Egrove Park. All became his career-long friends as well as advisors.

Similarly, as he curated the growing OCMS art collection he made the expanses of breeze block walls available to young local artists for display and exhibitions.

His approach to staffing was also based on offering career opportunities and training to young talent – at least two chefs’ careers spanned from school work experience, through training and qualification, to becoming Hotel and Catering Manager.

Working with and supporting the local Kennington community, as both employer and good neighbour, was a priority for Bill, establishing a great reputation as a multi-generational (work experience, part-time shifts, weekend jobs, retirement roles) local employer offering flexible work opportunities particularly in hotel and catering, grounds and maintenance.

And, beyond the everyday, Bill had an open creative approach to experimental ideas. One such initiative was successful offering the ‘Oxford Gourmet programme’ as an income generating initiative during the long vacation. The experiment involved a group of Oxford College chefs joining the OCMS/Templeton College hotel and catering team and admin staff to present the week long residential ‘foodie tourist’ experience, targeting visitors from the United States.

In his history Desmond Graves in Templeton College: The Oxford Centre for Management Studies: the first thirty years “a family affair” (2001) describes Bill as one of the ‘fathers’ of OCMS

Reflecting, Emeritus Fellow Dorothy Cooke, Bill’s administrative colleague for all but the first five years at his OCMS/Templeton College years, remembers him as a fun loving 6’7’’ beanpole; a kind, dedicated, supportive, though by nature also a worrier, co-worker. Long plagued by severe headaches, compromised sight in one eye and, for some years, restricted movement in one arm, following a serious car accident while visiting family in South Africa in 1971, he was a considerate and supportive work mate for many happy and fulfilling years becoming a lifetime friend. Dorothy further reflects, ‘Rest in peace AWRI [initials were the way OCMS colleagues referred to each other in OCMS days], father of our special “family” environment and, together with his wife Freda, of so very many lasting friendships and connections across generations and the globe.’

Alumni commissioned and funded a spiral fountain near the main entrance to the building dedicated jointly to Fellow and three times Dean, Bob Vause and Bill in recognition, appreciation and thanks for their contribution to the development and nurturing of the OCMS/Templeton College community.

Born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 1938 of British parents, Bill studied Economics, History and Social Anthropology at the University of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. He left Africa in his 20s travelling overland in a VW Beetle as far as Turkey, before arriving to settle in the UK.

Bill married Freda Wilson in Oxfordshire in 1965. Settling first in Eynsham and later in Abingdon, they had two daughters, Bridget and Kate. Widowed in 2003, Bill moved to Brighton. He is survived by his two daughters and three grandchildren, Tobin, Henry and Julia.

The thoughts of college members are with Bill’s daughters Bridget and Kate, grandchildren Tobin, Henry and Julia and friends. Please let the fellowship team know if you would like them to pass on any messages or tributes or to be notified of memorial arrangements in due course. His family have said they would love to have anecdotes of Bill’s OCMS/Templeton College years. Bridget can be contacted directly at bridget@wo.co.za and Kate at kateeimpey@googlemail.com.