A DIPLOMAT who went to St Edward’s School in Oxford and then served as a governor of the school for 12 years has died.

Sir John Moreton joined the Colonial Service in 1948 and would go on to work as a diplomat for nearly 30 years.

He died on Sunday, October 14, at the age of 94.

After going to St Edward’s, where he was athletics captain, he studied Classics at Trinity College in Oxford between 1936 and 1939, winning an athletics Blue in the process.

He was dubbed the “most promising figure on British tracks today” but the Second World War broke out, preventing him from competing at the cancelled 1940 Olympics.

As well as competing on the track, he also represented Oxfordshire on the rugby field. But instead of serving his country on the sports field he did so in the Second World War, joining the Field Regiment of the Royal Artillery and his actions at the Battle of Kohima would earn him the Military Cross.

Sir John was born on December 28, 1917 to Rev Charles Moreton, who was vicar at Bloxham and was the second of four children.

After serving in the Second World War and a spell as a teacher and civil servant, he served as British Ambassador to Vietnam for three years from 1969, arriving in Saigon shortly after the Tet Offensive.

This was followed by a spell as deputy to the British Permanent Representative to the United Nations and deputy to the ambassador in Washington DC, where he organised the Queen’s state visit to the United States in 1976.

He retired from the Diplomatic Service the next year after being made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order.

During his retirement, he served as a governor at St Edward’s between 1980 and 1992. His funeral took place last month and he is survived by his wife Margaret and three daughters.