Oxford pays tribute to 'a truly remarkable human being'
Friends have been paying tribute to the remarkable life of Worcester finalist Tsz Fok, and the richness he contributed to their lives. Tsz, who was wholeheartedly involved in an array of activities, including Dancesport, previously held the position of Secretary on Worcester’s JCR committee and was also the Treasurer of RAG and Captain of Coxes at the boat club.
Academically, Tsz shone with outstanding A Levels, numerous acco- lades from business enterprises and a book published with the Royal Academy of Engineering. His gap year saw him save Turner Powertrain Systems £75,000 with a scheme to overhaul the final stages of manu- facturing transmissions, a proposal that won him an Award for Com- munications from SEMTA, the Science, Engineering Manufacturing Technologies Alliance.
Tsz, who arrived in the UK from Hong Kong at the age of 12, had won a scholarship at Solihull and excelled at Oxford. Professor Arthur Dexter, one of Tsz’s tutors, said, “Everybody in the College knew Tsz �" he was involved in absolutely everything, always cheerful, always with a smile on his face. Everybody was fond of him; we can’t believe what has happened. He was also exceptionally gifted and on course for a star-studded first in his finals.
He was a delight to teach, a delight to have around the place, and we are all really going to miss him.’ Tsz was a member of the Blues Ballroom dancing team, specialising in Latin dance. Sarah Farrell, a fellow team member, said of him, “The most amazing thing about Tsz was his enthusiasm �" it’s amazing to see one person enjoy dancing so much. We have decided to go ahead with the Varsity competition in Tsz’s honour.
The team’s captain, Eliza Eagling, remembers his commitment and dedication to the team. “His improvement throughout the year as a dancer was immense, and he was constantly bubbly and excited and happy to be dancing. He was constantly cheerful.” Dominic Mckean, JCR President while Tsz held the role of Secretary, said, “I remember that when I first started as President, I was a bit over- awed by the whole situation.
I was suddenly handed a huge responsibility and didn’t have a clue where to start. But Tsz knew exactly what to do. He was always there to give good advice and always had bright ideas about how to improve the running of the JCR. “He took an enormous interest in everything he did, and he immersed himself into his job whilst making time to help everyone else in theirs as well.
His enthusiasm for every task, no matter how big or small, was an amazing example for us all to follow. It was this attitude that made him the amazing person he was. “It was both a great pleasure and an honour to be able to serve on the committee with him, and I hope that by trying to follow his example, Tsz will live on in all our hearts. We’ll all miss him terribly.
Close friends Lucy Chan and Gabriella Burnel were friends with Tsz from their first term together, and fondly remember his culinary expertise along with his other qualities. “Tsz was the first person we ever met in Oxford, and the last person we’ll ever forget. Tsz would always see the good in everyone, and make the most out of every situation. He threw himself into college life with an infectious enthusiasm and boundless energy that was an inspiration to us all.
“We would be forever trying his patience with our mischievous tricks and many visits to his room, sometimes at unspeakable hours, but we always knew that no matter what he would always be there, ready to entertain and look after us. “Instead of arriving at university and detaching from home life, Tsz would always make sure his parents were okay and talk of them with great love and respect.
As his Oxford years passed, the number of lives he touched kept growing but his love for them kept expanding.” Sahil Suleman had known Tsz for ten years since their school days together. “Tsz was a truly remarkable human being who got the most out of every moment of his life. His ambition and fantastic drive to achieve the seemingly impossible was truly inspirational to all those around him.
“As all of his family and friends have been brought together by this tragedy for this past week, every day we learn about some other award or achievement that he was too modest to tell us about. But more importantly for me, Tsz was an amazing friend. “Despite the unbelievable range of things that he managed to excel in, he always had time for his friends and we always knew that Tsz had that spark; he was going to achieve something special.
“He touched every aspect of my life and I felt honoured that I was able to share such an amazing friendship with him. “To me, he will always be special and I know I speak for all his close friends when I say that Tsz will always be in our hearts and minds, and we will never meet anyone quite like him."
26th Apr 2007