David Omitowoju
North B 1978-83
David Oluseye Omitowoju was born on 16 October 1965 in Ibadan. He grew up there at a time of huge political turbulence and conflict in post-Independence Nigeria. He was the youngest of five children and was determined not to be left in Nigeria when his older siblings came to the UK.
For David, coming to the UK was a huge moment of suddenly feeling safe in the world, and he had enormously positive feelings for the UK, Cambridge and his two schools, St Faith’s and The Leys because of that and because of the fun he had there.
David’s big character, his love of sport, his sociability, his fascination with academic ideas (but not always diligent pursuit of them!) meant that the school environment suited him very well, though he was aware that this wasn’t the case for everyone: a moving moment after his death was being contacted by a number of people whom he had befriended or kept an eye on while at school.
David’s entrepreneurial streak came to the fore after school and he ran his own business DJing and putting on bands in Cambridge. In 1991 he returned to education, doing a degree at the University of London, then a PGCE at Cambridge, fulfilling a dream of playing for the University (in the second team for both rugby and cricket). He then went into teaching and was an outstanding and charismatic teacher, beloved (and slightly feared) by all his pupils. The many, many warm wishes from former pupils were also very heart-warming after his death.
He and I married in December 1993 in King’s College Chapel, and we went on to have four wonderful children, Jonah, Adelaide, Carmen and Hector. David’s family, his wide circle of friends and his rootedness in the Cambridge that he loved were incredibly important to him and helped him to fight some of the demons of his past: the political violence he had witnessed as a child, separation from his parents, the loss of his mother and two siblings tragically young. But it was never easy.
In his last decade, David resigned from his post as Director of Science and tutored Maths and Science, gaining another almost cult following of students who ‘couldn’t have done it without you, sir!’ His health began to go downhill: he was never one to take the sensible path, or to think of tomorrow when fun, sociability and good conversation could be had today. He died of a heart attack on 7 January 2024, and will be very much missed and very dearly remembered for his big character, warmth and generosity.
Words by Rosanna Omitowoju