We bid a sad farewell to some much-loved alumnae.

Former Classics Teacher Stella Martin

Popular former LEH teacher Stella Martin passed away in November aged 93 and is remembered fondly by all who knew her. She taught Classics at LEH for some 20 years, until her retirement in 1991.

One of her former pupils Louisa Greenacre (Hartley), Class of 1989, has paid tribute, saying: “I was fortunate to have her as one of my Latin A level teachers at the end of the 80s, and then to know her later in life when she was a good neighbour and friend to my mother. Stella remained as sparkly and chatty as ever and would always ask for news of my LEH contemporaries.

“Stella’s lessons were rather jolly. She was always ready for a good chat, and her enthusiasm for the literature was impossible to resist. I remember her making quite sure that we’d all understood exactly what unlucky Dido and Aeneas got up to in that cave, and we had many lively discussions about Catullus and his friends and lovers. Perfect material for an LEH Sixth Form, explored with romance and laughter while still drilling into us the technical requirements of proper translation.”

Stella enjoyed her long retirement and retained her love of languages. She took French and Italian classes and had recently started on German.

Former colleague Ruth Iredale says: “Her strength as a teacher was based on her genuine love of Latin; she enjoyed the logic and precision of the language as well as its literature. She could cover the syllabus efficiently while keeping classes engaged. A younger pupil once said to me “Oh we loved having Mrs Martin. She told us things like how the Romans blew their noses” (on the edge of their togas, apparently!) What she enjoyed most was teaching literature, especially Latin poetry, finding the right word for a translation, teasing out meaning, and was always ready for the students to give her new insights.

“I loved working with Stella. She was a brilliant presence, with sparkling, entertaining conversation, and some riveting stories. Under the sparkle was a deep interest in people, a strong sense of right and wrong, and great warmth and kindness. She has been a dear friend for nearly 50 years, and I shall miss her very much.”

Mary Cordle (Ryan) 1949-2021

Mary Cordle, Class of 1967, passed away last year aged 72. She was a pupil at LEH from the age of eight to 18, very much enjoying her school days, before training as a speech and language therapist.

Her first job was at the White Lodge Centre for children with cerebral palsy. She found it so rewarding that she dedicated her career to working with very disabled babies and young children, helping mainly with feeding and communication skills.

She was married to husband Malcolm for 43 years and had three children. Malcolm says: “Mary had such a lovely, gentle and kind nature and was a very godly character.

There was a cheerfulness, a warmth and an attractive personality which I found very winsome, and which touched many folks.”

Mary enjoyed entertaining and excelled at home-baking and sewing, often making the children’s clothes when they were younger. A keen traveller, she was an excellent swimmer and loved reading, word games and crafts.

Janet Hughes 1945-2020

Jean Deacon (Bulley) 1929-2021

Janet Hughes, Class of 1963, passed away last year aged 74, following a short illness. The sad news reached us after her son Gareth and his wife Julia attended an open day at LEH. They were shown round by two current pupils who helped them find Janet’s name on the university honours board as well as on a paving stone in the grounds.

“Janet spoke so warmly of her time at LEH and the opportunities and friendships it gave her,” said Julia. “We had all assumed that when the time came to attend an open day for our daughter Annabel, that Janet would be attending with us. It was therefore hugely poignant for us to see her name at the school and we are very grateful to our guides.” After attending LEH Janet went to Girton College, Cambridge, to read Natural Sciences and, having completed a PhD at the University of London, became a lecturer at the London School of Pharmacy. She later worked as a Science teacher at a range of secondary schools and Sixth Form colleges.

Janet loved singing choral music and often sang operatic arias around the house, especially as she cooked. She was an active member of the Brighton Orpheus Choir, an usher at Glyndebourne and a volunteer at Nyman’s National Trust House. She was an intrepid traveller and maintained her lifelong love of learning with water colour and history of art classes.

Jean Deacon, Class of 1946, who was both an alumna and a former member of staff, passed away last year aged 91. Jean worked as the LEH Physics Lab technician for 31 years. She was a regular at alumnae events and is very fondly remembered by many colleagues past and present as well as former pupils. Her daughter Ruth Deacon, Class of 1978, attended LEH in the Sixth Form, and said: “We all miss her enormously and are adjusting to life without her, but are comforted that she lived a long, healthy, happy and productive life and was unwell only for a short time.’

After leaving LEH, Jean worked at the NPL in Teddington, where she met her husband Thomas. After raising her three children, she returned to LEH to work as the Physics Lab technician from September 1969 until her retirement in December 2000.

She was a talented water-colour painter and gardener, committee member of the Hampton Horticultural society; she played sports and athletics in her youth and won more than 40 trophies at Hampton Bowls Club in her 70s and 80s. She was also a devoted mother and grandmother. She lived in Hampton throughout her life and has many friends in the area to whom she brought love, inspiration and a great sense of fun.

When Jean retired, she wrote a wonderful piece about her memories of her time at LEH during the war.

Friends of Jane Lines, Class of 1954, were sad to hear that she had died shortly before Christmas at the aged of 85 after a long period of poor health.

Jane loved drama and music and was always artistically gifted at school, but she originally trained as an orthoptist. When she told Miss Ruth Garwood Scott what she wanted to do, Miss Garwood Scott declared: “How interesting! It is a career no-one else in the school has ever chosen!” As a qualified orthoptist, Jane’s next wish was to travel to Canada and she applied for a job in Montreal. After her friend backed out at the last minute, Jane took the ship from Liverpool on her own and spent two happy years working at the Montreal Children’s Hospital.

Life contrived a meeting with a young man called Peter Lines who worked for his family firm, Triang. On accepting his proposal of marriage, she said it was conditional on their returning to Canada. In fact, it was 35 years before

Jane Lines (Shutes) 1936-2021

this wish was realised.

They married in 1961 and had two sons and a daughter. In the fullness of time there would also be nine grandchildren. After one or two moves, they settled and created a happy home with a beautiful garden in East Horsley.

When her children were old enough Jane returned to work as a teacher. Her skills were enough without the need for formal training. She found jobs in local schools, teaching art, and she loved it. After converting a large room in their house into a studio, she became renowned for her illustrations in local magazines, for detailed pictures of birds and animals, and for drawings of historic buildings and everyday objects. She tried oil painting but much preferred watercolour and drawing. Now and then she would hold an exhibition and sale of paintings.

In addition, Jane found time to attend the University of the Third Age, to conduct tours of nearby Horsley Towers, to support the school for musically gifted children founded by Yehudi Menuhin and above all to be an active and devoted member of her Church.

She was one of a lifelong circle of friends from LEH and all of us will miss her.

Madeline Macdonald, Pamela Symonds and Trish White, all Class of 1955.

Sheila Leach, Class of 1949, who was a regular at many an alumnae event over the years, has sadly passed away. She lived in the same house all her life, nearby in Teddington, with strong family connections to the area, as her grandfather helped to build the church where her funeral was held, as well as Teddington Memorial Hospital, where she remained a ‘friend’ and supporter.

Sheila was described as “an excellent and enthusiastic pupil” during her time at LEH, where she discovered a passion for Biology. After leaving school, she trained as a Radiographer at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, and worked her way up to running the department.

Stella Stephens, also Class of 1949,

Sheila Leach 1932-2021

says: “Sheila was a huge supporter of the Holly Club, so we always saw each other at meet-up days, albeit the summer cheese and wine party or the winter lunch. She was a very relaxing person to sit at a table with and mull over the old and present times.”

Sheila’s cousin Shirley Kershaw, Class of 1955, also attended LEH and gave the eulogy at her funeral, recalling Sheila’s love of singing and her membership of many local choirs, and her great interest and support of nature as well as animal charities. She said: “Sheila was a loyal and enthusiastic lady who put her heart and soul into everything she did and will be remembered fondly by a great many people whose lives she touched.”

Ella Meacock (Hill) 1927-2021

Ella Meacock, Class of 1944, passed away in November, aged 94. She attended LEH during WW2 and recalled avoiding enemy bombing on the way to and from school, and working with fellow pupils at a farming camp near Broxbourne. She kept in touch with school friends Betty and Maureen throughout her life.

After the war, Ella married Alan Meacock, who had attended the Grammar School next door to LEH. They had three children and moved, with Alan’s job, from Surrey to Newcastle, Madrid and Sydney.

On retirement, they moved to Bath and finally to Shaldon in Devon, to live near their daughter. She leaves behind daughter, Sarah, and four grandchildren.

Former Head of Biology Janet Hanssen

Much-loved Biology teacher Janet Hanssen, who worked at LEH throughout the 1970s, 80s and 90s, passed away last year following a long illness.

Former Deputy Head Trish White said: “Janet was an excellent teacher and expected high standards from all her pupils. Many went on to have successful careers in a variety of subjects including medicine, dentistry and veterinary science.” Fellow former science teacher Ruth Parker recalls: “I recollect being awed by the huge collection of Biology books Janet had for reference in the Biology prep room, many of them on the subject of botany. Her love of the natural world was evident in many ways, from extensive foreign travel to attending the Chelsea flower show every year (for which Miss Candy would allow her a day off). Janet drove a sports car, choosing models with biological names. I recall smiling to see that she had graduated from a panther to a spider!”

Dr Jane Tighe, Class of 1979, who is now a Consultant Haematologist at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, said: “There are several people that stand out as being pivotal in my school days and subsequent career, and Mrs Hanssen certainly is one of them. She taught me biology throughout my Senior School years and set me on my path in medicine. On reflection, she somehow managed to make biology seem – well – natural, easy, interesting… none of the complexities of physics or the formulae of chemistry, and yet I realise how well prepared she was for every lesson, how varied our activities were – drawing plants, dissecting, and those interactive experiments.

“The one thing that I am sure of though is that she would be proud to know how we all turned out in the end and would have taken great joy in knowing that she had set us on that path. So, thank you Mrs Hanssen - for everything.”