It is with great sadness that St Catharine’s has learnt that the Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Pattie (1956, Law; Fellow Commoner 2005–07, Honorary Fellow 2007) died on 8 October 2024. The College flag will be flown at half-mast in his memory today.
After graduation from St Catharine’s, Sir Geoffrey served with the Queen's Royal Rifles (4th Royal Green Jackets TA) for seven years and was latterly the honorary colonel of the same battalion. He was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Chertsey and Walton (1974–97), with ministerial briefs for defence and subsequently industry in the 1980s, and he was appointed to the Privy Council and knighted (in the New Year and Birthday Honours of 1987 respectively). Having started out at advertising in 1966, he returned to marketing communications in 1997 (following his retirement as an MP) and rose to become the founding Chairman and Director of Strategic Communications Laboratories, which came to prominence as the parent company of Cambridge Analytica.
Sir John Benger (1979, English), Master of St Catharine's, said:
"On behalf of the College, I want to express my deepest sympathies to Sir Geoffrey’s family and friends. He will be missed as a long-time supporter of St Catharine’s and chair of our Development Campaign Group (2000–11). I know he will also be missed by his former colleagues in the armed forces, business and Parliament."
