Dikran Tahta

His father, Kevork Tahtabrounian, (1895–1980), settled in Manchester with his wife in 1927, after the First World War and the Armenian genocide, shortening his surname to Tahta.

Between graduating the university and just before the national service, Tahta took time out to catalogue the library of the late Archbishop Matheos Indjeian (1877–1950), and read a number of his books.

Tahta did national service in the RAF from 1950 to 1952, then after a brief foray into journalism, he returned to Rossall School in 1954, where he began teaching English and History.

The Leapfrogs group of Tahta and Hemmings, together with David Sturgess, Leo Rogers and Derick Last also produced hands-on teaching materials including workbooks for the polycube.

In his obituary, The Guardian newspaper described Tahta as "one of the outstanding mathematics teachers of his generation", who was notable for having inspired physicist Stephen Hawking.

The Guardian commented on his death that "He was a wise and generous man who inspired love and an increase of intellectual energy in everyone who came within his ambit.