The fencing and academic communities are mourning the loss of Derek Evered, a revered coach and distinguished biochemist who recently passed away at the remarkable age of 100. Evered, who maintained his passion for sabre fencing into his tenth decade, leaves behind a profound legacy in both scientific research and sports coaching.
From Lab Assistant to Respected Academic
Derek Evered's professional journey began humbly at just 14 years old when he started work as a hospital laboratory assistant. Through dedication and night school education, he achieved an extraordinary academic career, eventually becoming Reader in Biochemistry and deputy to the professor at Chelsea College of Science and Technology, now part of King's College London.
His scientific contributions were substantial, authoring more than 125 papers published in prestigious journals including the Lancet and the BMJ. He specialised in amino acids and inborn errors of metabolism, focusing on genetic disorders such as Hartnup syndrome. Evered also founded the master's course in biochemistry at Chelsea and supervised an impressive 500 dissertations throughout his career, which included visiting posts in both Zurich and Cambridge.
A Lifelong Passion for Fencing
Beyond the laboratory, Evered's great love was fencing. He discovered the sport by chance while watching a session in the basement of Regent Street Polytechnic after rifle practice. This accidental encounter sparked a devotion that would last his entire life.
In 1976, together with his friend Derek Freeborn, he founded the Egham Fencing Club in Surrey, not far from his home in Ashford. He served as its chief coach and president for nearly 50 years, demonstrating an exceptional commitment to developing fencers of all abilities.
When university funding cuts forced his retirement from Chelsea College at 59 during the Thatcher era, Evered devoted himself fully to fencing, particularly sabre. He authored a manual on the discipline and for 28 years was a regular contributor to the Sword, British Fencing's magazine, where he proofread with what colleagues described as an "eagle eye".
An Enduring Legacy of Patience and Passion
Those who learned from him remember Evered as endlessly patient and unfailingly polite. When pupils' attention drifted, he would smile and gently remind them, "Littly social, littly social" – a phrase he borrowed from his own coach at the Poly, Hungarian fencing master Bela Imregi.
He maintained his connection to the fencing community until the very end, always asking for news of club members. Evered also created and edited Egham Fencing Club's quarterly journal, Cut and Thrust, produced with help from club members.
Born in Lewisham, south-east London, Derek was the second of three sons of Alfred Evered, a textbook salesman, and Elsie. His mother died when he was nine, and he was raised by aunts. He attended school in Southgate, north London, and continued his education at night school while working.
Derek's wife, Evelyn, whom he met on a coach trip to France and married in 1954, died earlier this year. He is survived by their children Angela, Graham and John, who served as his full-time carer for the past decade, and by three grandchildren. His constant advice in later years was simple yet poignant: "Don't get old."
