Deaths 2014 -15
ABISOGUN-ALO. On 13 June 2015, Olugbolahan Modupefolu Olubunmi (Abisogun) MA (1958 History). Olu, daughter of a Nigerian chief, arrived in College from Lagos in 1958 to study History. Graduating in 1961 she returned home to marriage and a distinguished career. There she gained further qualifications and, through her work in teaching and administration, proved a significant force in the encouragement of education in Nigeria. The award in 2005 of an honorary doctorate by Lagos University for services in Educational Administration recognized the achievements of her multi-faceted career. Her professional life included a series of challenging posts, mainly in Nigeria but also abroad. She was Head of History (1977-79) and Vice Principal of Queen’s College, Lagos, International Secretary of UNESCO’s National Commission (1979-82), founding Principal of the Federal Government Girls’ College in Abuja (1982-85), and later Principal of the Government College, Lagos (1986-91). Director of Primary and Secondary Education in the Ministry of Education 1991-92, she became Director with Special Duties in 1993-94. In ‘retirement’ she ran an educational consultancy. Further appointments – ProChancellor, for instance, and Chairman of Council of two universities and Secretary of the National Forum for African Women’s Education – kept her fully occupied. At her 50-year reunion Olu spoke movingly of the support she received as an undergraduate and of the international group of friends she made. She was a big-hearted, passionate Girtonian, a deeply spiritual Christian, devoted mother and grandmother and a woman possessed of indomitable courage. Motivated by high values and strong principles, Olus’ life was spent in service to her compatriots. Notice by Dorothy J Thompson (Walbank 1958; Fellow 1965).
AFZAL KHAN. On 21 February 2015, Shayan Mishal MA (1982 History). Shayan, known as Poppy, was an author and social activist. She was deeply interested in the cause of education in Pakistan and in the social and intellectual development of the youth. After leaving college she worked as a research analyst at the parliament in Islamabad and then at the University Grants Commission. While convalescing from her first brush with cancer she researched the lives of the early women of Islam to dispel the image of Muslim women as inferior and oppressed and to highlight their active roles in public life. Her book Unveiling the Ideal: A new Look at Early Muslim Women was published in 2007.
In 2010, in Islamabad she set up Kuch Khaas – a vibrant not-for-profit community space for discourse, learning and entertainment – which has been described as having transformed the city. From here Poppy led many civic campaigns working with all layers of society to forge a progressive, pluralistic and tolerant attitude within Pakistan. Although she developed a charismatic public persona, Poppy was an intensely private person. She battled cancer for 14 years with immense courage and dignity and gave unstintingly of her time to comfort and support others newly diagnosed with the same disease. A week before she died Poppy was at an anti-Taliban protest in the bitter London winter, standing up for what she believed in. We, her family, had no idea of the impact she had made on thousands of young lives until after she had left us. Such was her influence that all the national newspapers carried an obituary. One wrote “Poppy Afzal Khan was a staple name among not just the highbrow in Islamabad but a relied upon presence when it came to standing up for the right kind of cause ... such was her persona that her passing gave Islamabad a moment of pause to actually take in the great loss the city had suffered”. Another obituary stated “Poppy may have left us, her family, her friends, her admirers and her followers, all so inconsolable; but she will live on through the copious numbers of ‘Poppy-seeds’ that she scattered throughout Pakistan and beyond...” Poppy is survived by her daughters Shahbano and Shahnoor Abbas. Edited notice by her sister, Zishan Afzal Khan (1977 History).
ALDOUS. On 30 September 2013, Inez Rosemary BA, MB, BChir (1947 Natural Sciences). Rosemary, as she was known, was born on the Isle of Wight, the daughter of Brigadier James and Nancy (née Morse) Aldous, and educated at Cheltenham Ladies’ College. She achieved a first class degree and awarded the Crewdson Prize. Rosemary completed her clinical course at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London. After gaining a Diploma in Child Health, and a Diploma in Public Health, Rosemary specialised in paediatrics. During the 1950s she held various appointments in the south of England, including Gloucester Hospital, Royal South Hampshire, Southampton Children’s Hospital, Kent & Canterbury Hospital and in 1958 spent a year as a GP. She returned to hospital work at Fountain Hospital, and then was appointment Chief Medical Officer for Buckinghamshire. Other appointments followed, at Luton, Northampton and West Suffolk. She retired in 1983.
BAKER. On 7 November 2014, June Dorothy (Leader) MA (1945 English). Upon graduation, June taught for a year in Worcester, before returning to Girton to become Assistant Librarian while studying for her MA (which she gained in 1950). She spent the next 4 years teaching in Southend, and in 1954 was appointed Senior English Mistress at St. Helen’s, Northwood, becoming its fourth Headmistress in 1966, a position she held for the next 20 years. June’s determination to meet the needs of her expanding school led to the fond nicknames of ‘Bricks Leader’, as she was the driving force behind the building and remodelling of many areas of the School. The incredible material legacy which she left behind almost matches the remarkable degree to which she fostered inspirational relationships with all pupils and staff, and the genuine interest she showed in their individual concerns. June retired 1986 but continued her involvement with St. Helen’s through the Alumnae Association, becoming its President in 1998, a position she continued to fulfil with enthusiasm right up until her death in 2014. June’s final Headmistress’ report sums up her devotion to St Helen’s and its girls beautifully: ‘To watch them grow up and have a small part in their development, is a great privilege: it has been my good fortune to do this, and to teach a – dare I say, the supreme – subject, and I am thankful for the life in this school.’ Edited notice by Dr Mary Short, St Helen’s School, Northwood.
BLACK. On 19 February 2015, Agnes Mary Black (Rayner) BA (1929 Natural Sciences). Agnes was born at Teddington to Dr Edwin Hartree Rayner, Superintendent of the National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, and Agnes Styles, an artist. She was educated at Wimbledon High School and Bedales School before coming up to College. She was awarded the Wiltshire Prize for proficiency in Geology and Mineralogy (bracketed) by the University and the Mary Sparke Scholarship by the College. After graduation she undertook a Housing Estate Management training course followed by an appointment with the Ecclesiastical Commissioners’ Estate, Walworth, in 1936. She married Maurice Black in August 1939. Her younger sister, Dorothy Rayner, also read Natural Sciences at Girton, and was a Bye-Fellow of the College (1936-38). Agnes was 104 years old when she died.
BRAMWELL. In 2013, Daphne Harold (Bradford) MA (1933 Natural Sciences). Daphne came up to Girton as both her mother, Rachel Anna (Wright 1901) and her older sister, Diana (Bradford 1931), had done before her. After studying Biochemistry in her last year, she did a course in dietetics, and a Postgraduate Diploma at King’s College of Dietetics in London. Between 1939-1940 she worked as Cook-caterer at Queen Anne’s School, Caversham. She then had an appointment as Food Supervisor at the Three-Counties Emergency Hospital, Arlesey, until May 1942, when she married Dr John Byrom Bramwell. They had two daughters.
BROOKS. On 9 February 2013, Sheelagh Mary (Foster-Smith) MA (1940 English). Judy, to her family, arrived at Girton having spent the early months of the war as a temporary Civil Servant in Lytham Saint Annes. Although she enjoyed her studies at Girton, like many others of her generation, she was drawn to war service and joined the ATS, where she was seconded to Intelligence. She trained in signals at Bletchley Park before seeing service in Cairo, Jerusalem and Italy. When Sheelagh was demobilised she returned to Girton to complete her degree. There she met and married Hugh Brooks, (Emmanuel, 1938), also a forces returnee. Some years after the births of Marian and Ralph, Sheelagh took up teaching English. She won universal praise as a good, successful and attentive teacher, though her family knew that the public, theatrical side of the job did not come easily to her because she was very reserved and shy throughout her life. Sheelagh and Hugh enjoyed an active life outside work, and were keen caravanners and campers. After retirement, they settled in Manningtree, Essex, where Sheelagh’s love for gardening became ever more all-encompassing. In summer her garden was often opened for local charities. She also took an active interest in local history, and volunteered for Meals on Wheels into her eighties, when she was older than many of her clients! After Hugh died in 2010, Sheelagh’s mobility and eyesight declined, but she stayed cheerful. She enjoyed visits from children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and her sister, Anne. She kept in touch with her old Girton friend and contemporary, Irene Wainwright Snatt, who during these years came to see her on several family occasions and she returned the visit for Irene’s ninetieth birthday. Sheelagh died peacefully in her own home, aged ninetytwo. Notice by her daughter, Marian Brooks-Sardinha.
CARPENTER. In 2015, Marion Ethel MA (1942 English; 1944 Theology). Marion was a first class student in both English, for which she was awarded the Barrington Prize, and Theology. After a year at the London University Institute of Education, she taught English at several grammar schools, including Selhurst Grammar, Northampton School for Girls and Mary Datchelor School in Camberwell Grove, ending her professional career at Gypsy Hill Training College on Kingston Hill. Having enjoyed teaching, for many years she ran a University of the Third Age literature group in Wimbledon and attended U3A groups in Richmond where she lived. She died at St Mary’s Convent and Nursing Home in Chiswick, aged 90.
hypolimnion of Lake Mendota’ in Limnology and Oceanography, Volume 5, No 4, 1960. She married David Clark, Vicar of St John Walthamstow, 1964 and had two children, Hilary and Jonathan. Throughout his ministry Alison supported David in many ways. Sadly, Jonathan was born with spina bifida which involved many visits to see in Carshalton Hospital. This did not prevent Alison from helping David to collate the monthly Parish Magazine, taking a major part in their entertaining and helping him prepare for nearly fifty Garden Openings. Her photograph is a particular memory, for David, of her brainwave of using friable molehill soil for giving young trees a good start in Kimmeridge clay! Edited notice by her husband, David Clark.
Notice by Dr Jackie E M Latham.
CHURCH. On 9 December 2014, Margaret Ransom MA (1943 Mathematics). Margaret Church was born in Halifax in 1924, the daughter of Francis Harold Church, a grocery manager, and Sarah Sharp, a bookkeeper and cashier. She was educated at the Princess Mary High School, Halifax and came to Girton College as an Exhibitioner in 1943 to study mathematics. She trained as a teacher at the Cambridge Training College for Women, 1946-47, and taught at Queenswood School, Hatfield, Hertfordshire.
CLARK. On 5 May 2014, Alison (Lathbury) MA (1952 Geography). Alison was born in Kenya to Robert and Marjorie Lathbury, and attended schools in Nakuru where her father was a colonial civil servant. She completed her schooling at St Felix School in Southwold, and despite the fact that she disliked public speaking, she became Head Girl. As well as her academic work Alison was a Cambridge Blue in Hockey, and played for both the College and the University. After graduation she became a teaching assistant, and in 1957 a Research Assistant in Meteorology and Oceanography at the University of Wisconsin. Here she made good friends for life and gained an MSc at the same time. She returned to the UK in 1959 to work as a Research Assistant to David Brachi, Professor of Climatology, at Hull University and was awarded a Diploma in Social Science in 1963. She particularly enjoyed driving a Land Rover between Bridlington and Spurn taking fortnightly photographs showing the different changes, including disappearances of the beaches. She also jointly published an article called ‘Some observations of currents in the
CLIFFE. On 9 November 2014, Rosemary Janet (Morton) MA (1952 Mathematics). Born and brought up in Birmingham, she attended Edgbaston High School for Girls before coming up to Girton with a College minor scholarship to read mathematics. She graduated in 1955 and stayed in Cambridge gaining the Postgraduate Diploma in mathematical statistics in 1956. Rosemary played an active part in College life and was a keen hockey and tennis player. Her first employment was as a statistician with the Medical Research Council Unit for Research on Climate and Working Efficiency in the Department of Anatomy, Oxford University. The focus of the research was the effect of extreme conditions such as high and low temperatures on the ability to work and she was a co-author of several publications in the scientific literature. In Oxford she met Eric Cliffe (Jesus Cambridge 1953) with whom she had two daughters and enjoyed 54 years of married life. They moved to Nottingham where for some years Rosemary taught mathematics at Nottingham Girls High School. She was a granddaughter of a former President of the Royal Astronomical Society and she maintained an interest in astronomy throughout her life. Amongst her other interests she was a member and sometime treasurer of the Nottingham branch of the Federation of University Women. Edited notice by her husband, Eric Cliffe.
COPE. In 2014, Doreen Davies (Seddon) MA (1947 History). Doreen was born at Leigh in Lancashire to William, a Civil Servant, and Doris Davies. She was educated at John Bright County School in Llandudno. After graduation she became a student nurse at Beaumont House, St Ebba’s Hospital, Surrey.
COX. On 23 October 2014, Margaret Lissant BA MB BCHIR (1938 Natural Sciences). Margaret was born in Salford, the daughter of George Lissant Cox, a medical practitioner and Sarah Marguerita Howarth. Like her father, Margaret went into medicine, completing her training at Liverpool University Medical School. Further posts in Liverpool followed, as House Surgeon at both the Liverpool Stanley Hospital and the Maternity Hospital, and gained further qualifications (MRCS and LRCP) in 1943. She was also a member of the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) at that time. In 1950 she became a General Practitioner in Leek, North Staffordshire and remained so until her retirement in 1986. She maintained her interest in ‘College fortunes’ and attended meetings of The Manchester Association of Cambridge University Women.
CROOK. In 2014, Lois Margaret (Bower) MA (1944 Modern and Medieval Languages). Lois, known as Margaret, was born in London to Sir Frank Bower, a Fiscal Advisor and Ethel Shaw. Her father, sister Ruth and brother all studied at Cambridge; Ruth LloydThomas was also at Girton (Bower 1943). Whilst studying French and Spanish, Margaret was also interested in sport and gained a Cricket Blue. After graduating she did a year at Marlborough Gate Secretarial College in London, and worked as a Secretary, first at British Celanese Limited and then at the Conservative Central Office in London. She returned to Cambridge in 1950 to take a Certificate in Education at Homerton College and embarked on a teaching career at Princess Helena College, Hitchin, and then Ursuline High School, Brentwood. She married Philip Crook, a farmer, in January 1961 and they had a son, Timothy. As a voluntary political worker, she was a former Vice-president of the North Dorset Conservative Association and also Chairman of the Women’s Advisory Committee.
CROSSMAN. On 29 August 2013, Patricia Marie Carter (Amy) MA (1950 English; 1952 Moral Sciences). Patricia was born in Exeter, the only daughter of Hedley and Marie Amy. She was educated at Allerton High School, Leeds and Colston’s Girls’ School in Bristol before coming up to Girton. After graduation, she took a Social Sciences Certificate course at the London School of Economics. Pat then held appointments as a Social Care worker at Kingswood Classifying School, an assistant research worker at the Bristol Social Project and Psychiatric Social Worker at the Child Guidance Clinic in Reading. She met Edward, a Chief Psychology Lecturer at Oxford, and they were married in 1958. They had two sons, Robert and Martin, and the family moved to California in 1964, when Edward was offered a teaching position at University
College, Berkeley. Becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in 1969, Pat took up a post at Cowell Hospital in California, pioneering the practice of group therapy. She went into private practice and continued there until 1985. As a lifelong critic of what she referred to as ‘therapies based on false science’ she wrote an online paper, The Etiology of a Social Epidemic, which was published in 2005. She is survived by her sons, Robert and Martin Crossman, and her four grandchildren, Francis, Ruth, Chloe and Robin.
CURRY. On 3 June 2014, Norah MA (1935 History). Daughter of Rev. Arthur Llewellyn Curry and Jane Lillian Everett, Norah was born in the vicarage at Ingrow near Keighley, five years before her brother John. Their happy childhood established Norah’s strong Christian roots and a lasting connection to Yorkshire. The family moved to the Suffolk parish of Bucklesham in 1926 and to Ipswich in 1942, a year after John died, aged 19, on active service in the RAF. By that time Norah had completed her education at Keighley Grammar School, Cheltenham Ladies College and Cambridge, and decided to become a Factory Inspector. Her entry being delayed, first by her age and then by the war, Norah took an engineering course at Loughborough College and worked in industry before joining HMFI in 1941 as one of a few lady Temporary Inspectors. Promoted to Inspector 1A in 1962 Norah was transferred to HMFI HQ at 8 St. James’s Square where she stayed until given responsibility for Bethnal Green District 1966. Formidable in her large hat, Norah could quell any opposition with a frosty glare and a few firm words’ Appointed Deputy Superintending Inspector in 1971 Norah worked in Glasgow until she retired in 1977. Highlights of her later years included Norah’s participation in the book launch of ‘Women of Courage’ 1993 celebrating 100 years of women in the Factory Inspectorate, and in 1998 she shared the joyful 50th anniversary of the recognition of women’s degrees at Cambridge with many fellow students, including her longstanding friends Peggy Bryant (Girton) and Cynthia Yates (Newnham). Tributes to Norah extol her pragmatism, determination, and indomitable spirit but it was characteristically discreet of her to forbid any ‘going on about my life’ in meticulous instructions for her funeral at St John’s Church, Ingrow. I hope Norah would not have disapproved of this being written for Girton College now. Edited notice by her goddaughter, Phyllida Edwards.
EVANS. On 31 October 2014, Margaret Blacklock BA (1942 Geography).
integrity, dignity and imagination’, as well as her ‘sharp intelligence and kindness,’ ‘serenity and cheerfulness’.
Margaret did not consider herself one of ‘Cambridge’s academic luminaries’, but was grateful for the insights that she gained from her education. She was also a keen swimmer and became Captain of the Cambridge Women’s Swimming Team in 1944-45. She continued swimming throughout her life including breaking a number of world records in the 60-75 age groups up to the Millennium year after which she retired from competition.
Edited notice by her husband, Christopher Waterworth.
She lived and taught mainly in the Black Country and Birmingham until December 1965 when she moved to Ilford, as Headmistress of Beal Grammar Schools for Girls. She was reappointed in September 1974 to lead the creation of Seven Kings High School by joining Beal Girls to Downshall (co-educational) Secondary School in Meads Lane. Comprehensive schools were still in their pioneer days and there was much to learn to cater for an increasingly multicultural population and to promote social cohesion. Margaret retired in August 1985 and was appointed OBE for services to education in the New Year’s Honours list 1986. In doing so Margaret felt that she was ‘wearing the loot brought in by all those who fought the daily armadas’. Her other interests were Ashurst Drive Baptist Church, interfaith organisations, racial and social equality and various community and environmental groups. She also supported the campaign for biodiversity as a Friend of the Natural History Museum and volunteer Friend of Kew Gardens. At the age of 90 she was still making the journey every Monday from Redbridge to Kew to fulfil her love of the natural world and interest in botany.
FOX. On 29 September 2014, Amanda Jane MA (1968 Natural Sciences). Amanda was born in London although she spent her early childhood in Nigeria, before independence, where her father was a District Officer. Then due to school commitments she was sent to live with a Vicar and his family in Cornwall, who already had five children of his own, and were she began her love for nature. She then went back to Nigeria to see her parents for the holidays, travelling by plane on her own between the ages of 6 and 9. Later she became a very accomplished sailor, and with her first husband, won many trophies. Amanda was a former teacher of King Edward VI School, Bury St. Edmunds as well as a former school governor and chairman, and founded the Bury Practice for Counselling and Psychotherapy which became her passion and main career. She led the first founding committee for Bury in Bloom in 1986 (Bury St. Edmunds) and was known for her ‘amazing’ gardening skills, ‘incredible lust for life’ and love of nature and wildlife. Amanda’s youngest daughter, Katherine, praised her ‘unfailing courage, love, honesty,
GILBERT-CARTER. On 4 July 2014, Daphne Elizabeth (Pickering-Jones) MA (1930 Classics; 1932 Moral Sciences). Daphne lived most of her life in the United States with her husband John (Trinity College, Cambridge, 1929) and four children. After being a housewife and mother for many years, Daphne attended the University of Maryland and was awarded Master in Library Science in 1969. She worked for several years as a reference librarian at the Brooking Institute in Washington, D.C. and then 1973 became an outside researcher and assistant for the Oxford English Dictionary, retiring in 1993 at the age of 81. She is survived by three children, four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, who have all been inspired by her curious mind and unbounded energy to learn. Edited notice by her daughter, Sarah Carter.
GOODWIN. On 20 September 2014, Inge Dorothea Rosi (Simon) BA (1942 Natural Sciences). Born to Jewish parents in Berlin in 1923, Inge came to England in 1932 as her father foresaw the threat posed by Nazism. She attended Henrietta Barnett School in London and won a place to read Natural Sciences at Girton, where she made lifelong friendships with Dorothy Thompson (nee Towers), Marjorie Wissler and Mollie Rotheray (nee Barber). In May 1943 she married Dennis Goodwin, enjoyed a weekend of married life before he was posted to Africa for three years, and then returned to Cambridge to request retrospective permission to marry from the Mistress. After graduation, she worked as a lab assistant at the Courtauld Institute until the birth of her daughter in 1949, wrote a series of Letters to Bremen on life in London for the BBC, and in 1953 published her first novel, Bury Me in Lead, which received excellent reviews. Her son was born in 1954, and for the rest of her life she displayed astonishing energy in many spheres. As well as bringing up two children and managing two homes and gardens, she was a constant hostess to visitors from all over the world, a school governor, a Labour activist, a busy translator from the German (mainly of books and articles on music and art), and a friend and helper to many. Inge had an extraordinary memory, an informed love of both arts and science, and great curiosity about the world. She once declared that her Desert Island Discs luxury would be a Girton register and a pen, adding that that she'd be perfectly well occupied on her island making up stories about the lives these women might go on to lead. Notice by her son, Alan Goodwin.
HARBEN. On 11 August 2014, Philippa Mary Burford (Shorter) BA (1953 History). Formerly a BBC World Service announcer, her voice had been known to millions of listeners around the world. Always with a nose in a book or newspaper, she was a one-off, eccentric, charming, and generous. She adored her cats, sculpture, films and theatre. From Clifton High School, she gained a place at Girton reading History. She married Roger Harben, the son of Philip Harben, the television chef, but later divorced. At the BBC she trained alongside Esther Ranzen as a Studio Manager, later in the ‘60s becoming an announcer when Bush House first allowed women to read the news. In 1982 on an epic trip to China she discovered a village with its pond, water buffalo, solid wooden-wheeled carts – a real live model of the medieval village she’d studied at Cambridge! Living in a London flat above a room being used by Pink Floyd for rehearsal, the street was being deafened. One day after a night-shift she padded barefoot into their room in her nightie, went over to their mixer, and turned it down, saying “Just 4 dB – you won’t go deaf and I’ll be able to sleep.” Stunned they asked how she knew about dB and they were amenable after that. Pippa died just short of her 80th birthday. I miss the laughter. She confessed her best spoonerism occurred when she misread an agricultural story with the words: “a talk lift f***... Ooohps, I’ll read that again – a fork lift truck!” Edited notice by her friend and colleague, Rosemary Arthy.
HENDERSON. On 6 April 2014, Janet Mason MA (1947 Classics). After gaining her degree, she continued to study and was awarded a BD (Bachelor of Divinity, London), a Cambridge Certificate of Education at Hughes Hall and later a Certificate of the Graduate School of Ecumenical Studies. Initially she became a teacher of Classics at Sutton High School in Surrey before embarking on an administrative career, firstly as an Adult Education Officer, for the London Diocesan Council for Voluntary Religious Education, then as an Editorial Assistant for the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, with special responsibility for the Society’s periodicals. In 1966 she joined the Christian Aid organisation with responsibility initially for Christian Aid World Poverty Campaign and the British Council of Churches’ Standing Committee on Migration; later seconded in 1971 to the Community and Race Relations Unit a successor to the BCC Standing Committee on Migration and was promoted from Secretary to Deputy Director. She was therefore intimately concerned with the formation and development of the Unit and had a number of duties including close involvement with working parties on
legislation (in particular the Immigration Act 1971 and its administration) and on the use of church properties for community activities in multiracial areas. This brought her into contact with a wide range of individuals and organisations in the community and race relations field, as well as Churches of all denominations both centrally and locally. At Cambridge Janet also gained a Cricket Blue 1948 and a Rowing Blue 1949.
HOLL. On 26 June 2014, Barbara Isabel (Burne) BA (1947 Modern and Medieval Languages). Barbara came up to Girton from Morecombe Grammar School to read French and German in the Modern and Medieval Languages Tripos. She was awarded the Joseph Brandebourg Prize for first class results in Part I, French (1948) and also received the Sheldon Prize in 1949. After graduation she continued her study in London and was awarded a Diploma in Education in 1951. She married Peter Holl on 16 July 1951 and took up her first teaching post was at Sittingbourne Grammar School in the same year. Barbara was at home for a few years during the 1950s bringing up their family of five daughters. She returned to teaching French in 1965, at Homelands Grammar School and retired as Head of Modern Languages in 1980. In retirement, Barbara and Peter lived in Wiltshire where they enjoyed walking or cycling over the Downs as well as several treks in the Himalayas. Her many interests led her, like W.S. Landor (1775-1864), to warm ‘both hands before the fire of Life’ and, in so doing, brought warmth to others. She is greatly missed by her husband of 64 years, her family and many friends. Edited notice by her husband, Peter Holl.
HOLLINGS. On 29 April 2014, Olwen (Stone) MA PhD (1948 Natural Sciences). After graduating, Olwen was awarded an Ethel Sargent Research Studentship to work on septoria and scelerotinia diseases of Gladiolus gaining a PhD in 1957. She was appointed mycologist, later Senior Scientific Officer, and then Principal Scientific Officer at Glasshouse Crops Research Institute at Littlehampton, known as the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) when they took over full control of funding, staffing and the research programme in 1956. During the 30 years of work, at the ARC, she published numerous papers on plant virology in various scientific journals, many jointly with her husband Dr Michael Hollings, whom she had married in December 1971. Olwen had interests in Natural History, Music and Languages and was a member of the RSPB, National Trust and the Royal Horticultural Society.
HOLLINGTON. On 12 June 2014, Eleanor Gwen (Paxton) MA (1938 Modern and Medieval Languages). Gwen was born in Cairo, to Basil Paston, a government official in the Egyptian Ministry of the Interior, and Gwendoline Parr, a former Hockey Captain for Ireland and later a champion golfer. When her parents retired, they went to live in Paris and Gwen was educated at the Lycee des Jeunes Filles in St Germain-en-Laye, and then Roedean School, where she excelled at sport. Benefiting from her mother’s sporting genes, she won blues at both lacrosse and lawn tennis at Cambridge. After receiving her degree in French and German, Gwen was immediately recruited by the Foreign Office to work as a linguist at the code-breaking facility at Bletchley Park. She started work there at the height of the fight to keep open the Allied supply lines across the Atlantic, and worked in Hut 4, Block A, Naval Section, receiving decrypted enemy naval messages from the code-breaking nerve centre in Hut 8, headed by Alan Turing, and translating them from German. She also vividly remembered Churchill’s visit in September 1941. At the end of the war she went into civilian life, taking jobs as a literary assistant at a firm of publishers and then as private secretary to the Chairman of Fire Officers’ Committee. In 1947 she married Barrie Hollington, whom she had met through his cousins who had been at Roedean with her. They had four sons and one daughter. The family moved to Harpenden, Herts, in 1953, where she continued to live until her death. She was widowed in 1964 and left with the five children to bring up on her own. She taught at a local girls’ preparatory school and, for a short period, a comprehensive school in the area. She was a great supporter of junior county tennis and was made a Vice-President of the Herts Lawn Tennis Association. She was also a long-standing member of Mid-Herts Golf Club and was still playing past her 90th birthday. She is survived by five children, twelve grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Edited notice by her son, Robin Hollington.
HOLLOWAY. Doris Mary (Copple) MA (1950 Classics). Doris, known as Mary, was born in Kenfig-Hill, Glamorgan, South Wales, to police constable Francis Leslie Copple and Iris Anne Price, a grocer and sub-PostMistress and was educated at Mary Datchelor Girls’ School, Camberwell Grove. She described coming up to Cambridge as ‘The intoxicating feeling of being treated as an adult’ and was delighted with the ‘mass of possible clubs available outside one's own subject’. And also the experience of ‘being thrown together with so many like-
minded people of all classes – a world of its own’. After graduating she studied for the National Retail Distribution Certificate and became a Trainee Buyer, later Under-buyer and finally Buyer for Bentalls of Kingston. In 1955 she left Bentalls to run her parents grocery and Post-Office. Mary married Peter Webster Holloway in 1957, and they had two daughters, Tracey and Bryony.
JEFFERIES. On 22 May 2014, Sheelagh MA (1944 History). Sheelagh went to Harrogate Grammar School before coming to Girton to read History under the distinguished and inspiring Professor Helen Cam. There were eight of us reading History in that year, and we were a very close group. After graduating Sheelagh worked at Chatham House as an Archivist for the Royal Institute of International Affairs. In 1951 she went to Smith College, Northampton, Mass, USA on a year's Trust Fellowship. On her return from the States her career was one of steady promotion, including posts at the Central Office of Information; Press Officer in the Prime Minister's Office; in the Privy Council Office; the Ministry of Housing and Local Government; Head of Parliamentary Liaison Unit in the Department of Environment; in the Department of Prices and Consumer Protection; Director, Overseas Press and Radio and Controller (Home). In 1983 Sheelagh became Deputy Director of the COI, and for her work there was appointed CBE in 1988. Sheelagh worked so hard at her career that it is not surprising that her fellow Girtonians lost touch with her. It was not until 1992, when she was persuaded to come to a Girton Reunion weekend for those up before 1953, which we met again. This reunion was joyfully followed by others – one in 1994 when the seven survivors of our original eight met to mark the 50th anniversary of their matriculation, and the great one in 1998 at Girton for the special 50th anniversary of being admitted into full membership of the University, and the last in 2004. She was still the same neat and precise Sheelagh, always well dressed, fun to be with, interesting to talk to. She lived in Richmond, so it was easy to meet in London, for those of us who were near. For the more far off friends conversation could be by telephone. Edited words by her friends, Daphne Hope (Boutwood 1944) and Vera Easton (Elliott 1944).
KARARAH. On 1 March 2015, Azza Mohamed Abdel Halim MA PhD (1950 English). Azza Kararah came to Girton as an affiliated student. Studying first for the English Tripos (1952), she expeditiously gained her PhD in 1955. These were happy times when Azza, lodging at Madingley Hall, made a lifetime group of Girton friends and met her future husband, the ancient historian Mostafa El Abbadi. They married in 1957 and their children were born in 1958 and 1961. Her father, Mohamed Abdel Halim Kararah, a civil servant had met her German mother, Margot Dzialoszynski, when studying in Göttingen. Azza herself, of an internationalist bent, was fluent in German, French and English as well of course as Arabic. She was born in Cairo but her schooling and first BA were from Alexandria, where she lived for most of her life in an elegant apartment overlooking the Great Harbour. In 1955 she gained her first post in the English Department of Alexandria University, serving as Departmental Chair in 1969-1972. There were visiting professorships too: in 1966-1969, Founding Chair of the English Department, Arab University of Beirut (returning in 1980-84 and 1992-94); Saudi Arabia: 1980, King Saud University, Riyad; 1983, College of Arts for Girls, Damam. Wherever she taught, Professor Azza encouraged her students to aim high. In her published work Azza was concerned to make English writers better known in Arabic; among other works she translated Everyman. The Englishwoman in Egypt (Cairo 2003), her edited letters of Sophia Poole, stands on the shelves of the Girton Library, a college she remembered with affection. Notice by Dorothy J Thompson (Walbank, 1958; Fellow 1965).
LAMB. On 3 June 2015, Margaret MA (1952 Geography). Margaret was born in the Northumberland village of Longframlington where her father was employed as a clerk for the local colliery, and later moved to another mining community at Shilbottle. Margaret excelled at the local school and at the Duchess’s Grammar School, Alnwick. At the time, it was unusual for anyone from the mining villages to go to University and so when Margaret was accepted at Girton, it was celebrated at The Miners Picnic – a big day in their calendar. Sadly, her mother died and the family was split up; Margaret came to Cambridge while her brother went to boarding school. After graduating, Margaret worked in systems development for International Computers before deciding to study for a teaching diploma at Birmingham University. She taught, and passed on her enthusiasm for Geography, at Dick Sheppard’s Comprehensive School in
London and rose to be Head of Geography, enjoying many years of teaching and running field trips. Margaret suffered from Manic Depression/Bi Polar Disorder and had to give up teaching, but soon went into administrative work at the Royal College of Music, where she stayed for a number of years. In 1988 she moved to the North East to be nearer to her brother, Kenneth, and his family. She had a busy and fulfilling social life in Tynemouth, being an active member of the church and the Labour Party, and also enjoyed the theatre and musical evenings. Margaret always kept in touch with, and supported Girton College and the Duchess’s School at Alnwick, and attended reunion events in recent years. Edited notice by her brother, Ken Lamb.
LIGHTBURNE. On 29 April 2015, Sylvia Joan MA (1946 Classics). After gaining a First Class Degree in Classics, Sylvia went to Lady Margaret Hall, in Oxford to study for a doctorate but sadly this was curtailed by her father’s sudden death in October that year. It was during this time that she began to feel called to teaching. Her teaching life began at Benenden and later at Watford Grammar School. In 1964, Sylvia was appointed Headmistress of Northampton High School for Girls where “she oversaw a period of great development, including substantial improvements in results and pupil numbers, and a more outgoing spirit.” She was described as “an extraordinary person and an exceptional Head Teacher.” She retired in 1988 to a house nearby in West Hunsbury which she shared with her good friend Yvonne Chapman, her former deputy head. She continued to take a keen interest in the School until her death. The current Headmistress, Mrs Sarah Dixon, describes Sylvia as “a forward-thinking educationalist, a kind headmistress, and a great benefactor to the school in many ways. Sylvia’s gifts and enthusiasm were not confined to the School. She helped found a branch of the Samaritans in Northampton, was involved in Diocesan work and was a ‘pillar’ of wisdom and prayer at her local Church of St Benedict. Many tributes were paid to Sylvia at her funeral on 18 May 2015. She was greatly loved and admired by her family and all who knew her. Edited notice by her brother-in-law, Alan Clarkson.
McKEARNEY. On 29 August 2014, Jean Pamela (Walker) MA (1943 Archaeology and Anthropology). Satisfying though Pam found her studies, she was particularly happy to recall winning her ‘Blue’ as a member of the Cambridge Women’s boat in 1945. She taught at St Albans and Shrewsbury GPDST schools, and while reading for a Dip.Ed. at Oxford met and later married Philip, then in the Army. When he joined the Diplomatic Service, Pam and their two sons accompanied him to consular and diplomatic posts in Syria, Qatar, Iraq, New England, Yugoslavia and Romania. Roger became a teacher, while Andrew is in Holy Orders. The interests which Pam had pursued at Girton, her readiness to learn foreign cultures and languages, and her courage made her my incomparable companion for 64 years. Notice by her husband, Philip McKearney.
MORGAN. On 20 April 2015, Margaret (Bryant) MA (1948 Mathematics; 1950 Economics). Margaret was born in Rotherham, to Reginald Bryant, and electrical engineer and Winifred Kate Grafton and educated at Princess Mary High School, Halifax. She came to Girton to read Mathematics in her first year and Economics for the next two, as had always been her intention. She was also a member of the JCR Committee and Treasurer of the College Music Club. Michael Clement Morgan came up to Cambridge at the same time, to read Mathematics at St John’s College, they met early in the first term, and married in August 1952. Her first appointment was in the Personnel Office of John Crossley & Sons, Halifax, and then she began teaching at Grey Coat Hospital School, London. Margaret and Michael had two sons, Christopher and Richard, and Margaret returned to teaching in the mid-1960s having posts at Alice Ottley School, Worcester and Francis Bacon School, St Albans.
Castleford High School until her retirement. Joyce also had many outside interests and school-based activities during her long career in Castleford, including membership of the West Riding Oxford and Cambridge Club, the National Trust and RSPB. She also enjoyed painting, gardening and sequence dancing as well as tutoring adults with learning difficulties.
NANSON. On 27 July 2014, Eileen Margaret (Wood) MA MB BCHIR (1956 Natural Sciences). Margaret was born in Berkshire, daughter of Hugh Wood (Kings 1926) Head of Biology at Bradfield College, and Eileen (Tunbridge) (Girton 1930 Natural Sciences). She was educated at Downe House and The Kenrick School, Reading before coming up to Girton where, in addition to her degree, she gained a fencing half blue in1959. She did her clinical training at St Bartholomew’s Hospital and qualified in 1962. In the same year she married David Nanson, a Chartered Surveyor. They settled in Wimbledon and had two sons. While her children were small she undertook a number of jobs involving Biology and Botany. She returned to medicine in 1970 and, after doing her house jobs on a part time basis, developed a career as a Clinical Assistant. By 1990 she was working in a number of different hospitals and disciplines including lung cancer (which involved the piloting of the use of laser treatment), diabetes, occupational health and disability. On David’s retirement in 1989 she became a full time medical officer with the Benefits Agency. Excessive writing against time led to the development of significant hand problems which led to her having to take retirement on medical grounds in 1997. She occupied her retirement by becoming involved in the voluntary sector and was on the local Community Health Council, and the management committees of the local branches of Carers Support and Crossroads. She was also involved with local charities and was a volunteer at the local primary school. Her whole life was spent in the care of others. Edited notice by her husband, David Nanson.
MORRELL. On 2 July 2014, Joyce Blanche (Scatchard) MA (1935 English; History 1937). Joyce was born in Leeds to John Samuel Scatchard, a Railway Clerk, and Violet Lonsdale Huckle; and was the elder sister of Barbara Scatchard (1941). Joyce admitted that she soon realised that History was her real interest and changed from English. She enjoyed her time at Girton, especially for the companionship and the opportunity to make her own decisions. She enjoyed most lectures, the pleasure of ‘country’ living and exploring, lived at the Grange and loved the Honeysuckle Walk. After completing a Cambridge University Certificate in Education in 1939 she held various teaching posts in Leeds. She married Norman Morrell, an Industrial Chemist for the Coal Board in 1956 and they had a daughter, Rachel. Joyce held various teaching posts in Leeds and Castleford, eventually becoming Deputy Head at
NESBITT. On 1 November 2014, Brenda Frances (Hill) MA PhD (1948 Natural Sciences). Brenda studied for her PhD in organic chemistry with fellow student Philip Nesbitt (St John’s 1947). They married in 1954. Sadly, in 1976, Philip died instantly following a car accident. Brenda was a research Chemist at the Tropical Development and Research Institute, London. This had been set up by the then Colonial Office to provide help for developing countries in pest control. Her main work was in the field of lepidopterous sex pheromones. She was held in high esteem by her colleagues
and published numerous articles and research reports (jointly) on insect biochemistry. Soon after retirement her health deteriorated until she was wheelchair and housebound. She bore her illness and bereavement with great fortitude and courage and died after repeated spells in hospital. Edited notice by her friend, Dr Elizabeth Tanner (1948 Natural Sciences).
NEWGAS. On 31 January 2015, Eveline (Blumka) MA (1942 Natural Sciences). Eveline was born in Vienna, daughter of Ernst Blumka, an antique dealer, and Irene Rausnitz. She was educated in Vienna and, Hove County School for Girls and Selhurst Grammar School, Croydon and was delighted to have been accepted by Girton having arrived in England aged 14 not speaking the language in 1938. She had wanted to join the Army but being an only child, her parents dissuaded her and so on returning to London, became a Research Chemist for Gestetuer Ltd working on inks and stencils. She married Clive Newgas in 1947 and they had two sons, John and Charles. She felt that after bringing up her sons, she could not get back into research, which had gone too far ahead by that time, so worked for various charities and eventually set up a small business with her Girtonian friends, one a mathematician, the other a doctor, both of whom had emigrated to Australia. Eveline also gained a Diploma in the History of Art (London) and had an interest in continental porcelain and glass. She was also Chairman of the Steering Committee for the Friends of the Iveagh Bequest, Kenwood House.
POMEROY. On 22 October 2014, Winifred Anne (Colegate) BA (1946 Modern and Medieval Languages). After completing her studies at Girton, Anne went to work at Vogue, London, before moving to Horrockses Fashions where she continued working as a translator until her marriage in 1953. Anne married Major The Hon Robert Pomeroy of the Welsh Guards and they immediately moved to Naples where her husband was attached to NATO. They quickly made many Italian friends including a lasting friendship with Riccardo Winspeare whose family papers Anne translated and published. These included descriptions by one Winspeare’s Italian ancestors of a visit to London after he had fought at Waterloo. He had been much impressed by the recent introduction of gas street lighting. After her husband’s retirement there were two more decades of Italian connections and frequent visits. Anne and her husband lived for over 50 years in a Somerset village where she was much involved with the Surtees Society and their publication of fine editions of Surtees’ works.
She survived her husband for 19 years and died surrounded by her family at the age of 87. Edited notice by her sister, Isabel.
POOLEY. On 19 December 2014, Eva Mary (Williams) MA (1942 Modern and Medieval Languages). Eva Mary was born in Truro of an Ulster mother and Welsh father and attended Bedford High School. She met her husband-tobe, Bill Pooley (Trinity Hall) at Cambridge. Both had to interrupt their studies for War service: Mary put her languages to good use at the Foreign Office Research Department and later spent a year at the Sorbonne. Fortunately Bill survived the European battlefield and they were married in 1947. In 1954 they moved to Norwich, where Bill was a solicitor and Mary taught Spanish at Norwich High School. Here they raised their six children, with a degree of European awareness unusual for that time: in our earliest years they would speak French when they did not wish to be understood! There were innumerable au pairs and in summer the house teemed with our French and German exchanges. Later Mary would accompany Bill leading groups of walkers in various European countries for the Ramblers Association. From the 1980s onwards they were happy migrants, spending the European winters in Perth, Western Australia. Bill Pooley died in 2012 and Eva Mary spent her last four years, with dignity, in residential care at Corton House in Norwich. As well as their children, they leave sixteen grandchildren. We remember our dear Mother as a brave, gracious woman of considerable charm, wit and culture, ahead of her times in many ways. She would certainly not have been the same without Girton! Notice by her children.
QUINLAN. On 19 July 2014, Heather Margaret Gray (Baxter; Mrs Walter) BA (1953 English). Born in China, Heather was taken prisoner of war by the invading Japanese forces along with her brother, Ian and her mother, where she made lifelong friends whom she considered an extension of her own family. Post war she met Richard in Cambridge and, following graduation, they married. Soon after they were expecting their first baby followed in quick succession by five others! Whilst still busy raising their children she trained to become a primary school teacher. Greatly respected and appreciated
by her fellow teachers she helped to shape the lives of so many children who thrived under her teaching and guidance. After remarrying in 1986 she moved with Bernard to Chelsworth, Suffolk, taking up a post at Hillside School. There she specialized in adapting the advances in information technology towards helping her students with special needs. After her retirement she continued to coach special needs children in the village school. This in turn led her to taking a leading role in fundraising to establish an L’Arche community in Ipswich, part of an International Federation dedicated to the creation and growth of homes, programs, and support networks with people who have learning disabilities. She was also a keen member of the Churches Together and supportive of all community life in the village. Her children, Paul, Clare, James, John, Benjamin and Anne and well as Jeremy, Philippa and Rupert, her stepchildren, were constantly showered with her love. She showed them all how, not only to live and love well and to take risks for what they believed in, but also to forgive and to laugh. A short documentary compiling of photographs and film while Heather was studying at Cambridge is available on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5ogVtHeyaE Edited notice by her family.
RIZK. On 4 September 2014, Vivien (Moyle) MA (1942 Natural Sciences). Vivien worked in biochemistry research at Cambridge University and in London before starting a family with her husband, Dr Waheeb Rizk. They moved to Rugby and made it their lifelong home. As a devoted mother to their three children, Imogen, Meri and Martin, she put them first, only developing a career in the voluntary sector once they were at secondary school. Vivien, who had a strong social conscience, served the community in a number of different ways, as a volunteer, including being a member of Rugby Health Authority, Community Health Council, the League of Friends of Rugby Hospital from 1968-2005, Rugby NHS Trust, Rugby Group Homes for Young People, Governor of Ashlawn School and Chairman of the Research Ethics Committee. She was named Rugbeian of the Year in 1985 and received a long service award from Rugby NHS Trust in 1993. She was described as ‘one of those nice quiet people who simply got on with the job’ but ‘her contribution to the town (Rugby) is simply immense’. Her daughter, Meri said, ‘My mother was a remarkable woman who live a full life to the end and will be missed by all who knew her. Sadly her daughter, Imogen, died at the age of 28, but Vivien went on to be a grandmother of five grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren. Edited notice by her daughter, Meri Rizk.
ROBINSON. On 31 January 2015, Janet Frances Cheslyn (Callow) MA MB BCHIR (1943 Natural Sciences). Jane, as she was always known, was born in Wallasey and educated at the Parents’ National Education Union (PNEU) School in Southampton and Howell’s School in Denbigh. She went on from Girton to read medicine at the Royal Free Hospital in London, qualifying in 1949. She had various house jobs in paediatrics and general medicine, ultimately becoming a medical Registrar. She married Kenneth Robinson (M.B., BChir., Jesus College) in 1950 and went into general practice, where she worked part-time. They had three children, Elizabeth (Robinson 1971), John and Philip, all of whom went into medicine. She was a member, and latterly, Chairman, of the Board of Visitors for 25 years at Sudbury Prison. Unfortunately, Jane suffered a lot of ill health in the last few years of her life. Notice by her husband, Kenneth Robinson.
ROE. On 5 February 2014, Mary Luola (Dooley) MA (1956 Modern and Medieval Languages). Mary and I met in Freshers’ Week in October 1956. We had both been given the opportunity to study Spanish ab initio under the benevolent wing of Mrs Helen Grant. We were part of the dozen linguists who made up the Modern Languages intake for that year. Many years later Mary confessed to me that during her first weeks in Girton she went around in a daze of fright – not that one would ever have guessed it. Out of our group she stood out by her eighteenth century passion for ideas and clarity of mind. When Mary left Girton she took the Civil Service exam and entered the Foreign Office, where, among other responsibilities, she helped to organise an outstanding collection of Benin ivories. It was in the Foreign Office that she met her dashing husband Toby Roe. It was a tragedy that his sudden death when Mary was pregnant with Georgiana meant that he never saw his child. Mary took up the challenge of raising Georgina on her own and worked long hard hours so that Georgina should not miss out. Once Georgiana had left home Mary was able to return to London and pursue her many cultural interests in the company of her many devoted friends. After Mary retired from the Civil Service she was invited to sit on a panel to sift genuine asylum seekers from adventurers. This involved the reading of very long case histories and passing judgement on the veracity of the statements. She continued with this work until well into her seventies. She was diagnosed with cancer two years before she finally lost the battle. It is typical of her that many of the books from her crowded shelves have been bequeathed to Girton library. Although she is not here I still have a conversation in my head with her when I read anything that would interest her wideranging mind or see something beautiful or strange or comic. We had many good times together. Thank you, Mary. Edited notice by her friend, Barbara Dalling (Dodd 1956).
SEDDON. On 12 January, 2015, Sheila Rosemary (ProudlockDunbar) MusB (1941 Music).
College did for her as a young person and how it shaped her life, and as a generous benefactor she was keen for others to have an equally life changing experience.
Sheila won a Blue for diving and fire-watched from the University Library before graduating B.Mus, with the cello being her principle instrument. After 3 years at the Royal Academy of Music (1944-1947), she was appointed to the Scottish National Orchestra where she remained until 1954. She played at the opening of the Festival Hall in London (1951) and the first Edinburgh Festival (1952). She married Brian Thomas Seddon in 1954 and there were four children, David, John, Claire and Richard. She played for Chelsea Opera Group from 1978 to about 1995 and was for many years an examiner for the Associated Board of Music.
Edited notice by her nephew, Peter Smart.
Notice by her son, David Seddon.
SMART. On 20 February 2015, Phyllis Elizabeth Alice May MA (1942 English; 1946 Theology). Phyllis was born into a privileged household, but nevertheless, she faced a difficult start in life having to go through a series of operations on her nose as a result of an illness when she was four. She excelled at school not just academically but also in sport. It was at Girton that Phyllis honed her academic skills, deepened her love of literature, and found God which was a major part of her life for a good many years. I imagine this is also where she discovered classical music which became another major passion.
STACEY. On 8 October 2014, Brenda Margaret (Smith) MA (1949 Geography). The Girton College had a very big influence on her, not only while studying for her degree, but also on what she subsequently achieved in her career in marketing, working firstly for travel companies in the 60s in this new and emerging market, and then in banking in the 80s, rising to the top echelons within Williams and Glyn’s. She moved from central London to Crewkerne, Bexhill and Sherborne to enjoy a retirement full of travel, music and art, before returning most recently to her birthplace of Brighton for the last year of her life. She married in 1954, divorcing a couple of years later, and while she never had children of her own, she leaves family who still live in Girton, reinforcing the close ties with both college and village that Brenda maintained throughout her life. A strong believer in women's education and the ability to achieve anything with sufficient focus and hard work, she has left a legacy in her will to Girton College, and this clearly shows how much the College meant to her and the opportunities it gave her in life. My aunt Brenda Stacey died after a short illness, having undergone treatment for cancer of the oesophagus. Edited notice by her niece, Rebecca Fraser.
Phyllis gained a war-time degree for instead of undertaking her third year in theology she was moved to the London School of Economics under government war legislation where she gained a qualification in social science. Phyllis started work at the Family Welfare Association and worked there for a few years, she was given time off to go back to Cambridge for a year to undertake her third year. Phyllis had a number of administrative jobs, in the Classics Department at Holloway College, for one. Although she was not a child orientated person, at the age of 39 she decided to teach, as she wanted to pass on her passion for literature. Phyllis admitted to a very difficult first year as an unqualified teacher at Croydon Girls Public Day School. That said, she clearly developed and then gained her teaching qualification and secured a place lecturing rather than teaching in Weymouth. In retirement, Phyllis moved to Stoke Abbot to be near Pilsdon, a Community for people who needed help which included, drug addicts, ex-prisoners, and people who did not fit into mainstream life in general. A few years later, when she decided to return to Cambridge, she continued as a volunteer on the reception at the Citizen Advice Bureau, and undertook research at Girton. The College meant a huge amount to Phyllis and she really appreciated what the
STEDALL. On 27 September 2014, Jacqueline Anne (Barton) MA (1969 Mathematics). Jacqueline, born in Romford, Essex, studied maths at Girton in 1972, and obtained her PhD from the Open University in 2000, and became a Senior Research Fellow at Queen’s College, Oxford. She was a historian of mathematics whose academic career, although it lasted for less than fourteen years, encompassed nine books and more than twenty articles. In books such as The Oxford Handbook of Mathematics (2009) and her History of Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction (2009) she challenged views such as the assumption that mathematics progresses only through ‘great and significant works’, and that the period 1545-1770 was one in which there had been no significant progress in algebra. Her work developed a view of her subject not as a male-centric, European concern, but presented a more inclusive, sophisticated world view of the development of mathematics. She was a lover of nature, and was particularly fond of the Outer Hebrides. She is survived by her husband,
documentary maker Johnathan Stedall, and her children Tom and Ellie.
STOCKLAND. On 24 June 2014, Ruth Carole (Berger) BA (1958 Archaeology and Anthropology). After leaving Girton, Ruth spent 18 months living in Tanzania researching into the oral history of a remote tribe. Her whole life thereafter was marked by her love of Africa and of ethnic art, for which she found an outlet in ‘Stockland’ of Little Clarendon Street, Oxford, which she founded with her first husband Jonathan in 1965. It was a hugely popular Aladdin’s cave of ethnic artefacts and modern design until the mid-80s, when she opened Bluestocking on North Parade, selling a clothing brand which reflected her immense flair for design and quality. With her second husband, Ronnie Sonneborn, in The Barn in Old Headington, she created a stunningly beautiful garden, and filled the house with a gorgeous, eclectic assortment of painting, pottery and fabrics. She was a hugely talented artist, and her family and friends benefited over the years from her wildly imaginative and often very funny cards, paintings and doodles, as well as from the beautiful wire chandeliers she created latterly. She drew artefacts for the records of the Pitt Rivers Museum, and she also worked until the late nineties for the Access scheme in Oxford, helping students from disadvantaged backgrounds into university. There was nothing ordinary about Ruth. With her many talents, originality, wit and force of character, her influence on her family and many friends was immense and unforgettable. She leaves two children, Rebecca, an opera singer, and William, a teacher and art historian, and two adored grandchildren, Milly and Imogen. She continued to live in Oxford until her death. Notice by her sister, Angela Pullin (Berger 1962).
TAYLOR. On 21 October 2014, Phyllis Mary Constance (Tedder) MA (1945 History). Phyllis was born, in Walthamstow, in the year of the General Strike, was a young teenager at the outbreak of WW2 and was one of the first groups of women to receive a full Cambridge University degree. It was at Girton that she met Dorothy Sykes, who was to remain her lifelong friend. Dorothy and her future husband Neil, brought about the meeting of Phyllis and Peter Royston Taylor, also an undergraduate in Cambridge, and they married in 1949 and had a son, Julian. Phyllis’ first appointment was as Assistant
History Mistress at Loughton High School and while teaching there she studied for and gained an MA which resulted in her promotion to Head of History. Further Head of Department posts followed before becoming Deputy Headmistress of Carlisle School, Chelsea, in 1962. She was at the helm of the transformation of Walthamstow School from a small grammar into a large secondary high, and one of the first heads to take on a failing school, Wanstead High School. Her long list of appointments after 1974, noted in Who’s Who, illustrate Phyllis’ dedication to her profession and the respect in which she was held. She made an active contribution to serving on many advisory and sub-committees on a national level and was a member of the University Grants Commission. At a local level she was chairperson of the Dunmow Liberal Party, a parish councillor and school governor. In 1983 she was made an Honorary Associate of the Institute of Education in London. Phyllis was a person of great stamina, although she and her husband faced many health challenges, and had many interests. She was also a cherished friend, a kind godmother, a spirited aunt, an attentive sister, a dear grandmother and a beloved mother of Julian. Edited notice by her family.
TILLEY. On 22 August 2014, Ann Burman (Christophers) MA (1950 English). After graduating in 1953 Ann taught young children first, then trained to be a librarian, returning to Girton in that capacity for a short time. Later she worked at the Guild of Health in London, editing its magazine. She also studied on the Southwark Ordination Course, training to be a lay pastoral assistant, alongside acting as librarian at USPG. In 1981 she moved to join the Little Gidding Community and married Michael, who was already a resident there, the following year. She served in local parishes there, and later at St. Mary’s, Godmanchester. She was also an active member of the Anglican Third Order of St Francis. After Michael’s death she returned to Warwickshire, where she was born in 1929, to be near her brother and his family. The last years of her life were limited by advancing dementia which she bore with courage, courtesy and grace. To the end she retained a precision and love of language, as well as a sense of colour, style, and a delight in flowers. She died peacefully, drawing to an end a full life generously lived, and sustained by a steadfast faith. Edited notice by her Sister-in Law, Rachel Christophers.
WARREN. On 10 March 2014, Lynette Oskarl, MSt (2002 Management Studies). Lynette qualified as radiographer (MSR) at Cardiff University and had a BA in politics, philosophy and economics from the University of Hertfordshire before coming to Girton to do a Masters degree in Community Enterprise. As a Radiographer and, amongst other locations, Lynette worked for 5 years in Nairobi alongside members of the flying doctor team. On her return she set up two small businesses, with a colleague. She returned to university and specialised in ecotoxicology and pollution monitoring and the use of geographical information systems for environmental data. She was commissioned to research and produce 'The Luton Borough State of the Environment Report' for Luton Borough Council, Published 1992. She also devised and lectured in environmental auditing on the MSc Ecotoxicology & Pollution Monitoring course at Luton University; introduced and set up an environmental auditing programme for companies, was appointed Environmental Advisor for the Eastern Region Technology Centre and engaged the University of Luton as part of the East Anglian Higher Education Institutes Environmental Consortium. Lynette was an environmental and social enterprise specialist and was co-founder of Sustainable Opportunities Ltd, a company producing environmental services. She was a Director of Earthworks St. Albans – an environmental community enterprise and a Director of the Bedfordshire Rural Community Charities. Here she was an devoted supporter, since the early days of the charity in 1997, and passionately championed the organisation at every opportunity, giving her free time and energy over 17 years. She was particularly dedicated to promoting sustainable choices in horticulture and technology, issues at the forefront of the Earthworks ethos.
WHITAKER. In January 2014, Susan Mary (Babington) BA (1952 English). Sue and I met at our interview with the Mistress (Dr Cartwright) when we arrived at Girton and discovered that we both lived in Suffolk, were both reading English and had many interests in common. We remained friends in spite of living many miles apart until she died. Her daughter Lucy is my goddaughter, my daughter Sophy was hers. She married David soon after leaving Cambridge and as he was an army chaplain found herself in Malaya for three years during the emergency. On return they served on a tough housing estate outside Nottingham and then spent five years in Basutoland (Lesotho). After that they were in Devon until David’s retirement when they moved to Weobley in Herefordshire. Their happy marriage included five children and seven grandchildren. Sue was passionate and practical in pursuit of her interests – often the environment or justice. She was rooted in her Anglican Christianity but quite prepared for active
theological debate, and visiting the Whitaker household was both a stimulating and hilarious experience. Sadly for the family David died a mere six months after Susan. Notice by her friend, Judith Foord (Greenacre 1952).
WRIGHT. In September 2014, Helen Muryell (Buxton) BA (1946 Geography). Helen arrived in 1946 at Girton to study Geography after the war. She recalled the bitterly cold winter of 1946 and the constant hunger due to food shortages. Nonetheless she enjoyed her time there and particularly remembered cooking Ovaltine (unrationed) biscuits on the gas fire in her friend’s room. She left Cambridge in 1948 and married Donald Wright, who had first noticed her on Liverpool Street station and later met in the map room of the University library where she had characteristically spread out the maps on the floor to see them more easily. During the war she had been a FANY and worked in the coding department having early knowledge of the work of the French resistance, the concentration camps and, later, while in Ceylon, being aware that the Atomic bombs were to be dropped. After leaving Cambridge she and Donald had five children and she followed him to his various teaching jobs ending up in Shrewsbury where he was a headmaster. Helen took on the development of the bookshop and took a great interest in the female members of staff who needed support. Following Shrewsbury and after Donald’s retirement they converted an old barn into a home and developed the surrounding pasture into a wonderful garden. Helen was always a person who noticed things, from recording the dates she heard the first cuckoo to the location of the martagon lilies in a college garden on the Backs, first shown to her by her father and refound when she moved back to Cambridge for her last two years. Notice by her daughter, Charlotte Cannon (Wright 1974).