Friends, family, staff and parents all came along to Marsden House for the unveiling.
Stephen Fuge was Head of Marsden House in 1984, and in that role he had a profound influence in the shaping of the House.
He was a fantastic student, winning prizes in his year for subjects including English, Latin, French, Classical Studies and History, just to name a few.
On 15 June 1987 he was killed in an unfortunate car crash, only three years after graduating from the College.
Amanda Morris, one of the first girls to enter King’s College in 1980 into the day houses and friend of Stephen’s, was one of the several people who helped organise the memorial and make it come to life.
“There were a few of us that were really close to Steve and we thought this would be a great thing to do in his memory. I can’t believe it has now been realised; it’s been two years in the making,” says Ms Morris.
Bruce McKenzie who was in Marsden House from 1980-84 and a contempory of Stephen, came and saw the original memorial to Stephen and felt inspired to do something. He got in touch with his old friends and everyone agreed they would like to see something fresh.
They ended up producing, designing and fundraising collectively, and the results are what can now be seen at Marsden House.
Marsden Housemaster, Ben Simperingham says there is an absolutely inspirational quality of friendship that is developed in students’ years at King’s.
“The friendship these guys and girls made was so powerful that it still connects them with each other, with the College, and with Stephen even 30 years on. It is a concrete example of what true friendship is,” says Mr Simperingham.
King’s College Archivist John Bean Archivist here at King’s recalls his memories of Stephen.
“He was a magnificent leader of the boys,” says Mr Bean. , “Hhe had a genuine interest in people and was a great inspiration to the boys at Marsden House. Someone who touched the lives of so many, and so strongly in just 19 years of his life.”,” says Bean.
“Stephen Fuge was a man that never judged anyone, he accepted who and what you were without any bias or preconceptions and would always find the time to sit down and talk.
Stephen’s brother, Michael Fuge is delighted with the memorial as he feels it truly captures a key part of what made Stephen, Stephen.
“It will be a place where people will meet, sit down, talk, form friendships, and feel included - wWhat we hope is that in this memorial you too will find that spark of inclusion, that fire of friendship that Stephen and his friends brought to the college.”,” says Fuge.
Stephen’s Dad father Reverend Neil reminisced about Stephen and marvelled at the new memorial piece.
“Stephen had the gift of the gab, a great ability with words, as you can see, these quotes around this memorial attest to that,” says Mr Fuge.
As quoted by John Mr Bean, “Stephen has really stamped his mark on King’s College.”
