Anthony John Sharpe (1949)

Tony Sharpe was educated at Whitgift School in Croydon and after two years National Service came up to Queens’ in 1949, following in the footsteps of his older brother Geoffrey. He took a first in Part II of the Maths Tripos in 1951 and then took Part III in 1952. After a few years working for ICI in Middlesbrough, he returned to Croydon in 1957 to work for Kellogg Engineering.  He joined IBM in 1965, shortly after they launched their first mainframe computer. For the next 35 years, he worked on computer systems - eventually specialising in ticketing systems for airlines. He enjoyed the adventures this gave him around the world (including a rapid evacuation from Buenos Aires at the start of the Falklands War in 1981).  

He married Monica in 1958 and they had two children. At Queens’ Tony was an active member of the Christian Union and his faith continued to be a mainstay of his life. Tony went to Emmanuel Church in Croydon - teaching the Boys Pathfinder Class for many years, and later becoming a Lay Reader. 

 In 1998, Tony stopped work and planned to enjoy his retirement in Croydon. But Monica unexpectedly died, shortly after their 40th wedding anniversary. Four years later, Tony remarried, moving to join his new wife Anne in Winchester - where he lived until his death in July 2024.

Obituary by Jo Munday, daughter of Tony Sharpe