Obituaries

Intro text?

MRS PATRICIA STOCKDALE (NÉE SHIPLEY) CertEd 1951

Patricia joined Homerton in 1951 to train as a teacher. She loved her time in Cambridge, describing it as a “whole new world.”

She sang with the University Music Society and remembered being conducted by Sir Malcom Sargeant, and particularly enjoyed being a member of a small madrigal group at Peterhouse and singing with Emmanuel Congregational Church choir.

Of course there was punting on the Cam and tea at Grantchester, even in the days of post-war rationing. But I particularly remember her telling me about the mad cycle rides out of town to get back to College before the doors were locked at 10pm!

After Cambridge Mum taught for two years in Norwich before marrying and teaching in an American mission school while living in Muscat. In the 60s she found herself in Staffordshire and was involved in the experimentation with teaching reading through the ITA (initial teaching alphabet) and then spent several years working in a specialist team working on the teaching of reading. Mum loved her work, finally giving up fulltime teaching in 1985.

She continued her interest in young people and education in general as a committee representative of several local educational charities.

In the months before she died she had returned to live in her native Yorkshire, where she was enjoying exploring her old haunts. She was fit and active right up to becoming ill in February 2020, and died in May that year.

Supplied by Sally Woods (née Stockdale), PGCE 1982

MRS IRENE EDITH GRACE SMITH (NÉE FORSDIKE) CertEd 1937

Irene was born in London and educated at Homerton, where she qualified as a teacher in 1939. She had a special aptitude for music, and went on to hold several teaching posts in London.

In 1954, Irene married Dr Alec Smith, a tropical entomologist. She joined him in Tanzania, where she lived for nearly 20 years, and where their two daughter, Linda and Diana, were born. While Alec worked at the Tropical Pesticides Research Supplied by Linda Thomas (née Smith)

MRS GILLIAN JAMISON (NÉE MASON) CertEd 1948

At Homerton, Gillian was a keen associate member of the Jesus College Rooster Debating society, hosted at the time by Freddy Brittain, and often recalled her happy memories.

She had a long and varied teaching career, starting in Melton Mowbray, followed by The Paris English School (in Alexander Dumas’ old home); Birmingham; Aylesbury and Barcelona, where she taught the children of the American 6th fleet. In 1975 she was appointed Head of Pre-Prep at Weirfield School in Taunton, where she taught until her retirement in 1990.

Gillian leaves her husband, Monty Jamison, daughter Elizabeth, and two grandchildren. Institute, of which he was appointed director in 1967, Irene ran a nursery school from home and also taught at Arusha school. She was also actively involved in the church and ran the Sunday school.

Alec joined the World Health Organisation in 1973, leading to further moves across southern and west Africa until 1980, when he was sent to the Geneva headquarters. Wherever they were based, Irene taught both children and adults and led Sunday school activities in the local churches.

In 1986, Irene and Alex retired to Bexhill-OnSea, Sussex, where they enjoyed ballroom dancing, holidays in Europe and the UK, and spending time with their daughters and granddaughters. After Irene became ill in 2008 her family looked after her at home until Alec’s death in 2014, when she moved to Peterhouse Care Home, Bexhill. She died on 6 January 2021 aged 101.

Supplied by Jane Gray (BEd 1975)

MRS (DORRIE) ANN JONES (NÉE STEWART) CertEd 1966

Ann passed away peacefully at home in December 2019 aged 87 years. She is remembered for her vivacious character, her practical approach to life and her courage. Ann attended Homerton College from 1966–1968 with a group of mature students known as Group Seven.

Ann Stewart was born in 1932 in St Helier, Jersey in the Channel Islands but grew up in Withersfield, Suffolk, after losing her father in a tragic accident at the age of four.

In her teenage years she attended high school in Ipswich and Stoke College in Clare. Ann was the highest achieving student in the Higher School Certificate in the County, which won her a place at Bedford College, part of the University of London, to study history.

Before taking up her place, however, Ann was offered a one-way trip to Brazil by a relative. To earn her fare home, she was forced to learn Portuguese and get a job. While working as company secretary for a coffee firm she met and married British engineer Colvin Jones in 1956. They had three children, Stephanie, Clive and Douglas.

Tragically Colvin died in April 1963, seven years into their marriage, leaving Ann widowed at 29 years old. She had the huge task of relocating her family back to the UK, with Brazil in the throes of political uncertainty.

As a single parent she needed a new career that would accommodate raising three young children so she chose teaching, majoring in Art and Geography at Homerton. After graduating she taught at several schools in Cambridge, before settling at Queen Edith Primary, where she developed a specialism in remedial teaching.

Ann loved languages, and spoke Portuguese, German and Spanish, sometimes helping out as a court interpreter. After her children left home, Ann she hosted students from all over the world, helping them settle into life in Cambridge. The walls of her hallway are covered with postcards from those students who, years later, still wrote and remembered her support.

She would not be restricted by age. At 60 she made it to the Hobart newspaper for cycling 600 miles through the steep hills of western Tasmania, while in her 70s she climbed Adams Peak in Sri Lanka, rising in the night to get to the top at dawn.

Ann remained an active member of Homerton’s alumni community, and enjoyed Formal Hall dinners and numerous lunches and social events, such as garden tours, and choral concerts. She was proud to have had the opportunity to study there and enjoyed catching up on news in the Homerton magazines till the end.

Ann died on 17 December 2019 in her home of 50 years, having been cared for by her family after two strokes. It was a full life and it was Ann’s determination, courage and view that anything was possible that opened up a world which in return gave her so much.

Supplied by Stephanie Jones

MISS SHEILA MCGIVERING CertEd 1946

Sheila’s years at Homerton were transformative for her.

Arriving immediately after the war, she studied under Betty Meredith Jones at a time when dance was still an emerging field in the world of education. Sheila embraced it with a passion. Dance and movement became a central part of her life and teaching.

She found a fresh focus for that passion when she read Rudolph Laban’s book, “Modern Educational Dance”. While attending a summer school and weekend course, Sheila met Rudolf Laban and was invited to spend a year studying at the Laban Art of Movement Studio in Manchester. She described the year as intensely practical, with movement and dance drama each day and preparations in the evenings. Few books on the subject had been published at that time.

Joining the Laban Guild in 1949, Sheila stayed actively involved with its teaching, as a dancer, teacher, examiner and mentor. She served twice as a member of Council and as Chairman for six years and, at the time of her death, was one of the Honorary Vice-Presidents.

Sheila was also a Moderator for the Laban Guild Creative Dance Leaders training scheme. Students have spoken warmly of her knowledge and experience but also of the extent to which she invested herself in their learning, giving endless encouragement and support. Many remember her as a major presence, sometimes sharp and occasionally intimidating on first acquaintance but with a dry wit and sense of fun, a generous heart and, always, a passion for dance.

Sheila’s teaching career also spanned physical education, drama and religious instruction. She took increasingly senior posts at a range of schools, starting in Stratford where she taught PE with dance, then moving to teach movement, speech and drama in a Secondary Modern School in Manchester where she rose to become head of department. In Cheshire, she served as the deputy headmistress for a residential girls’ school for children from challenging backgrounds.

Her final move was to Eaton Hall College in Retford where she lectured in dance and drama until the college closed in 1980. At news of her death, her students have paid tribute to the way she influenced their lives.

“There are certain individuals you meet in life who leave an indelible impression on you,” wrote one. “Sheila was one such.”

Another wrote simply: “Sheila was the match that lit the flame.”

Sheila had a strong sense of social justice and of morality. Her Christian faith, which inspired her quiet but powerful commitment to loving and serving others, was central to her life. She was an inspiring, supportive and towering presence who is much missed by her former colleagues and students, close friends and family.

Supplied by Jill McGivering

MRS FELICITY HOWL (NÉE HOLLINGWORTH) CertEd 1956

Felicity’s early life was spent the tiny Kent hamlet of Underriver, near Sevenoaks where she went to school at Walthamstow Hall. From there she went to Homerton to do the Certificate of Education course, followed by a one-year science specialism course. At Homerton she became close friends with Jenny Howl (née Pollard), who was taking the same course and who after a few years became Felicity’s sister-in-law by marriage. Jenny had married David Howl (Selwyn, 1956–58) and, several years later, Felicity married Michael Howl (St John’s, 1951–54). So, not surprisingly, the two Homerton alumnae saw quite a lot of each other throughout their lives.

As Michael was by then on the academic staff at Imperial College, they lived within commuting range of South Kensington – initially for two years in Sutton, and then in Ewell – for the rest of Felicity’s life. They had two children, a daughter Nicky who now lives in Reigate and a son Andrew now living in Dorking, so the family have remained in close contact.

After Homerton, Felicity taught for three years, first at the Elisabeth Allen school in Barnet and then at a new school in Doncaster. She then took a break from formal teaching and, after brushing up her spoken French at the Alliance Française in Paris, worked as an au pair for a ski instructor and his wife in Chamonix for two years, followed by a spell in Cordoba teaching English (and at the same time learning some Spanish). Felicity was a natural teacher and once her children were past primary school age she took another teaching job, this time at a local pre-prep school where she worked until retirement.

Felicity had a warm and outgoing personality and she soon made a lot of friends in Surrey, many of whom remained close throughout her life. She was a good tennis player and played at the Sutton Hard Courts Club for many years, switching to golf at Banstead Downs Golf Club when her friends persuaded her of its attractions.

Felicity was diagnosed with coeliac disease in her early sixties but she managed this condition well and was careful with her diet so she was able to continue to live as before – until the last two years of her life, which were blighted by illness, which was thought to be probably linked to her coeliac disease and which in the end proved incurable. She died peacefully in hospital on 26 May 2021.

Supplied by Dr Michael Howl