Simon Offen: an obituary
Colleagues, old Members and friends of Christ Church will be saddened to learn that following a long illness, Simon Offen, Deputy Development Director died on Friday night.
Simon joined the Development Office in January 2009 to work under Marek Kwiatkowski with initial responsibility for alumni relations. His experience in the hospitality industry rapidly proved invaluable, as did his deep commitment to the House, of which he was himself an Old Member. He relished the chance to connect with alumni, and created a role that greatly increased contact between alumni and the House, to the benefit of both. He was subsequently appointed Deputy Director of the Development Office, and the continuity and commitment he put into that role over many years was a major source of strength to the House.
Simon was educated at St Edward’s School in Oxford, and read History at Selwyn College, Cambridge, afterwards coming to the House to study for a PGCE, and going on to teach at Bryanston, where he became head of History. However his real passion had always been food, wine and entertainment. After Cambridge he worked briefly as a chef de parti at the Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, and attended a variety of food and wine courses. By 1993 he was resolved to make the jump and founded Stroff’s Speciality Sausages in Oxford’s Covered Market, before finding his real niche in hospitality as General Services Manager at the National Trust’s Waddesdon Manor, overseeing the Dairy, two restaurants, and the Five Arrows Hotel.
Old Members will remember Simon with huge fondness. He was very sociable, with a genuine delight in meeting and helping alumni. Nothing was too much trouble. The number and quality of events he organised put the House’s approach to alumni hospitality on a new level. He was the chief architect of a range of special events, additional gaudies, and visits and excursions for old members. The excellent quality of all these events was much appreciated. In conjunction with the North American Friends (and the indefatigable Peter Paine) Simon also managed all events and arrangements in the US and Canada, and put on similar events in various parts of Europe.
Simon was also an astute fund-raiser in his own right. His main interest in this connection was sport. He was a keen supporter of Vincents, and was himself a double hockey Blue. His work for the Boat Club was tremendous, raising funds for the endowment of the club, for boats, training, and the boathouse itself.
Simon’s death is a great loss to the Development Office, as well, of course, to his family and his many friends. Simon was married to Kathryn, who died in 2017. Kathryn brought them two children from her first marriage, Charlotte and Edward, with whom Simon was very close. She too was a keen cook, and their relationship was warm and happy, and inevitably filled with food and fun.
Funeral details will be announced in due course.
