In the best journalistic tradition, I wrote Eric's obituary shortly before his death on 7th December 2007. As soon as the news reached you the tributes started coming in, and I realised immediately that you had made a far, far better job of it than I. Here is what you had to say:

In my view there was not another teacher at KEGS in my days at the school who came remotely close to him in his ability to quietly motivate and get pupils to give their very best. He certainly commanded a level of respect in me that none of the others who followed managed to sustain. (Colin Leighfield 1957)

I was taught by Mr Pedley 1966-73, A-level maths and further maths, just before he retired. A wonderful teacher and person. (Kevin Harwood 1966)

He was one of the true gentlemen of KEGS Aston who had a great influence on many of us over the years. (Ian McDonnell 1959)

I thought that he was a first class maths teacher, I doubt that I would have passed 'A' level without him. (Graham Birley 1956)

It seems like the end of an era. (Malcolm Carpenter 1951)

He was one of life's few remaining gentlemen. (Tim Morris 1950)

He was a good and gentle teacher who helped me progress well in Mathematics - one of Aston’s better teachers at that time. Please convey my sympathies to the family. (Keith Spicer 1958)

He went the way he would have wanted to go. May he rest in peace. (Martin Baker 1961)

Despite it being 65 years since I last saw him I still have a memory of him being a gentle kind person and he made the world a better place. (Geoff Reed 1939)

Eric Pedley had, in retrospect, more influence on my subsequent life than any other teacher at Aston. I owe him a lot. (Alan Clare 1949)

As a 16 year old, I could not get over this teacher who addressed us as ‘Gentlemen’. It reflected his own, innate, gentility. (Jim Perkins 1950)

When I arrived at Aston back in ’69 Eric seemed old to me then, to hear of his passing almost 40 years later seems almost as if he failed to teach me the mathematics he so clearly loved. I am deeply saddened to hear the news, in all of my childhood and academic trials and tribulations he remained generous and kind to a fault, a true gentleman of his day. The world needs more people like him. Many, many more. (Louis Caldicott 1969)

When I was at Aston, it was deemed to be a privilege to be taught Maths by Eric. Additionally, he was a great chess player. He taught me many useful moves in the game, and I have many fond memories of lunchtime sessions with Aston's Chess Master. (Jean Thierry 1962)

A lovely man and a great teacher. (Derek Fisher 1952)

He was the only teacher of maths from whom I ever learnt anything. A lovely man. (Peter Clay 1951)

A lovely, lovely man of whom I have so many fond memories. I recall that he had a unique way of "fanning" paper prior to dealing it out; such a strange thing to remember. He made Mathematics come to life, for me, and persuaded me to do ‘A’ levels and - eventually - a degree in same. I owe him an enormous debt of gratitude. (Jim Gallivan 1964)

I knew Eric (he was Mr Pedley to me then, 1943-48), but I was never one of his pupils. I am surprised on looking back how young he must have been during my time at Aston. (John Penny 1943)

Much has been written about Eric’s kindness, all of which is true, but I also fondly remember his sense of humour from an incident when he gently chastised me. I was a contestant on the first ever ITV quiz show and failed my last, which was a mathematical trick, question. The next morning Eric came into the classroom and, with a smile and a twinkle in his eye, his first words were “Ford as a mathematician you should be ashamed of yourself”. A mathematician I never was, and without Eric I never would have passed 'A' Level Maths. (Lewis Ford 1950)