Deaths

 For recent deaths, see here

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(Information about the following deaths was received  after the 2022 AGM ; the names were announced at the AGM/GCM on 10 June 2023
and were published in the 2023 Association News)

Maryrose Elizabeth King (Baines), sec 20, died 2 May 2022 aged 89.  She was in Dorchester.  She married in 1958; her husband John (a painter) died in 2014;  a Wikipedia article about him is here and his obituary in Horse and Hound is here.  Maryrose commented in her News earlier that year that they had lived in the same house for 55 years.  She left two children and three grandchidren.  One of her children informed her section representative that she had died. The Telegraph had a notice of her death (here).

Eileen Lewis (Seymour), sec 48,  died on Saturday 22 April 2023 after a long illness.   Her husband informed  her section representative.

,Jonquil Solt (Denham-Davis), sec 21, born 1933, died peacefully at home on 11 June 2022.  Her son informed the School.   She was in Holford (and remembered the stain on a Holford dormitory ceiling, said to have been the result of a bowl of rice-pudding being tossed up in rejection by a  member of the Holford family).  When Queen Mary visited Westonbirt School after its return to Westonbirt House in 1944, Jonquil (the youngest pupil returning from evacuation with the school) was selected to present a bouquet to Her Majesty.  She married in 1961;  12 years later she reported that life was going happily on, mentioning her children and her increasing control of the garden  - but also that she was spending a great deal of time hunting, dealing with a very active Pony Club and generally indulging in what her family called "chasing horses".   After another dozen years, she was taking her turn as section representative and also very involved in dressage at all levels.   In 1992 she resigned as D.C. to the North Warwickshire branch of the Pony Club so that she had enough time to concentrate on Riding for the Disabled, including organising the 3rd World Championships in Dressage for the Disabled which would occur in Gloucestershire in 1994.  It was a great success and she was asked to chair the International Paralympic Equestrian Committee (IPEC).  The next years were busy with international events and locations to organise, judge, and visit, as well as general involvement in the Riding for the Disabled Association,  in addition to family and home life. (In 1994, she commented, “As a Westonbirt O-G, I’m good at delegation!”)  Included in her activities of 2004 was receiving the OBE from the Queen.  Also mentioned was that in 2005 her organisation would merge with the able-bodied International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI).  In 2008 she retired from the FEI Para Equestrian but was still invited to officiate at international events. In 2016 she had a serious heart attack, being ambulanced to hospital a number of times, four of them with blue lights.  She made a strong recovery in 2017 and reported in 2019 that she was still doing some judging of dressage.
Some of the many tributes to her are here, here, here, here.  
In 2015, when reporting that she had become chairman of her local Senior Wives Fellowship (see here) , she remarked, “I cannot remember any national or international committee that I joined of which I have not become chairman - but that is life.”  The Telegraph notice of her death (here) included "Her pioneering work changed the world for so many people who competed in the Equestrian Paralympics"

Gillian Mackie (Faulkner), died 17 September 2021.  Gillian was contemporary with section 18.  From Westonbirt she went to Somerville, Oxford, whe had awarded her a scholarship;  she read Natural Sciences.  She and her sister Patricia  (a  member of section  16) were both in Dorchester.  (Gillian remembered her house number,  D8, into old age.)  A notice of her death (with photograph) is here.   Gillian wrote a memoir about her childhood, including her years at Westonbirt, which can be read here and here.  Her last months of life and her funeral (including a reading from Romans 12 that ended at verse 21, "overcome evil with good") were reported here.    Her husband George (see here, here and here) died  on 25 August 2023.  They had married in early 1955 and had 5 children.

Janet Jones-Legg  (Robson, lately Jones), sec 28, died peacefiully on 31 December 2022.  Her son informed the School.  She was in Sedgwick and then Gloucester.  A notice of her death is here.  Her younger sister became a member of sec 33.

Rosemary Kitson (Hines), sec 24 , died in September 2022.     Her husband informed the School.  She was in Dorchester.

Mary Boase (Huskisson), sec 16,.  passed away peacefully on 8 September 2019, aged 91.   She was in Gloucester.   The Telegraph notice of her death (here) was spotted by chance in 2023.

(Anne) Mercia MacDermott (Adshead), sec 15, born 7 April 1927, died on 28 March 2023, having been in a Care Home since the previous  Christmas.  Her section representative was informed on 30 March by a friend of the family.   Her daughter said that Mercia had really enjoyed Westonbirt.  She joined the Association in 1997 and attended the 2005 Association Day when four of her age group celebrated 60 years after Westonbirt.  It was her first since leaving  - 10 years later she expressed her gratitude to her section representative, Joan Freeland, for having persuaded her to attend.  Mercia was a frequent submitter to the Association News until 2020, commenting in 2016  that she  must be one of the few surviving old girls who started off at Westonbirt proper, spent the war years at Bowood House and Corsham, and returned to  Westonbirt for her final year.  After Westonbirt, Mercia went to St Anne's, Oxford where she read Russian Literature.   
Wikipedia, describing her as an English writer and historian, known for her books on Bulgarian history,  has an article here about her life, which included many years visiting, living and working in Bulgaria;.  A 2018 photograph is here.  (The text is Bulgarian:  a Translate option may be offered at the start.)   Her "History of Bulgaria" can be read online here via  the Internet Archive.   She wrote a number of books on Bulgarian history and culture.  In recognition of these, she was honoured on her 90th birhday by the Bulgarian Government with the "Order of the Golden Age [...] the highest that Bulgaria can bestow for services in the sphere of culture" (her description; she sent a photograh of herself,   proudly wearing the impressive medal, for the School's 90th Birthday celebration the next year.) Mercia mentioned in a News report that one of her four biographies of eminent Bulgarians which had been, she wrote,  "intended to inform British readers, was translated  into Bulgarian and unexpectedly became a best-seller in Bulgaria itself" - with the result that she (to her surprise) became a celebrity.  Her last book, "Once upon a time in Bulgaria " was published in 2016.
The Bulgarian President's Press Secretariat reported (here) President Rumen Radev's condolences to her family and relatives.
Mercia also wrote "Explore Green Men", published in 2003,  about  the strange leafy faces that are often found in old cathedrals and churches and, particularly in those built or refurbished after the Reformation, houses. (Such a face is at the bottom of the invitation to King Charles's coronation.)   From 2000 to 2020 her annual reports for the News had frequent mention of her life in Worthing -  particularly the Worthing Nastional Trust Committee (from which she resigned by 2014) , and the Friends of Worthing Museum and Art Gallery with whom, around 2004, she successfully  campaigned  to stop the museum's being closed, and of whom she reported in 2014 being Vice-President and, from 2016 until at leasr 2020 (her last News submission), President.  

Charlotte Victoria Bruce Walpole (contemporay with sec 48), born 16 March 1960, died peacefully at home surrounded by loved ones on 28 February 2023.  The section 48 representative informed the Association Membership Assistant.  Charlotte was at Westonbirt, in Beaufort,  1972-1976.   A thanksgiving service was held on 31 March in the church of St John the Baptist, followed by a reception at the Corinium Hotel (both in Cirencester);  those  attending were requested to wear colour.  

Margaret Blackburn (Taylor), sec 27, died in February 2023 after a long illness.  She was in Beaufort.  Her section representative informed the school.  

Dheidre Philips (Hornsby), sec 6, died in May  2022, aged 103.  A niece (a member of section 40) reported Dheidre's death in the 2022 Association News.  Dheidre married in late 1940.  Her husband Humphrey died in February 2006; his death notice (originally in the Telegraph) here mentions a son.

Mrs Morris (née Milln, later Anne Nye), Mathematics teacher at Westonbirt in the 1970s, liked even by non-mathematicians among her pupils, passed away on 30 January 2023, aged 94, in Cornwall. One of her children posted the news on the Westonbirt Association's Facebook page.  Following her time at Westonbirt, Anne lived in Hampstead, becoming a member of Camden Council and active in Broken Rites.  She married Ian Nye in 1996 and moved to Surrey, offering a base to many relatives either visiting London or flying from Gatwick.  She was active in the local Conservatives and continued delivering leaflets and coaching Maths until her mid eighties.  Her final years were spent in Cornwall.
[A notice of Ian's death on 10 October 2017, aged 93, is here.  Ian's account of his life can be retrieved here  - or, using the Wayback Machine, here.]

Juliet Peel (de Galleani), sec 30, died peacefully on 25  October 2022, aged 79;  her husband and one of their three children, with his wife, were with her.  She left four grandchildren.  Tributes can be left here.  A notice of her death is here.  She was a member of Dorchester.  From the age of nine, she had been sure she would become a doctor.  She met her husband on a skiing holiday during her last year at Medical School;  they married in 1967 after she had finished her House jobs. She finally retired in 2015, commenting that she had been lucky enough to be able to work part-time through her career in various aspects of  General Practice and women's health.   Though she greatly appreciated the quality of her education, she never wished to revisit the school buildings;  instead, she kept in touch through the years with  many  of her contemporaries.   Her sister was also at Westonbirt.  At her Requiem Mass, her son said he had thought about her as a person  when considering what to say at her 80th birthday - that she was an indomitable force of nature, courageous in her battle with cancer with three main threads to her life:  her love of family, her successful career (e.g. presenting data at conferences in the 1990s in the UK and Australia about early work on the computerisation of colposcopy) and her extensive friendship networks interwoven by her strong faith, her love of languages (she spoke French and Italian well and had some knowledge of Japanese/Mandarin) and her strong sense of responsibility creating a rich tapestry of life.  She had dismissed suggestions of having a party for her 80th - her son had felt this was because she did not particularly like being the centre of attention.

(Diana) Jane Palmer (Needham), sec 22, died 18 December 2022, aged 88, after a short illness.   A notice of Jane's death is here;  her funeral took place at St Mary Magdalene Parish Church, Peckleton, Leicestershire on Wednesday 18 January, followed by interment in the churchyard.
Jane was at Westonbirt from about 1947 to 1952.  She married David Palmer in 1958;  David died eleven years before her.  She left 2 children and 5 grandchildren.  Her eldest son  informed the School of her death, asking that her remaining schoolfriends be informed and describing her as a big supporter of Westonbirt and a very keen reader of the Association News.  She herself occasionally contributed News, centring around family, horses, gardening, swimming and tennis in the summer.  Animals and conservation of the countryside were dear to her heart.  After her husband retired from business they converted some of the farm buildings into two houses, which brought them interesting neighbours who became friends.  Later, Jane moved from the Manor House (where she had lived with her husband for over forty years) to one of  the converted barns on the farm..  "The Granary" (next door and annexed to "The Ostlers" where she lived)  caught fire and was gutted in 2016.  Luckily, her yoiunger son's family was close by at The Manor House and their dog's continuous barking woke her granddaughter at 2a.m..  Jane was rescued by her son just as the smoke was starting to infiltrate her bedroonm.
Jane's father Sid Needham OBE was a director of Leicester City FC for nearly fifty years..  (He was also a Director of the Football Association and Chairman of the FA Cup Committee.)  Jane was, as one would expect, a dedicated supporter and follower of Leicester City;  she contributed many historical documents for the Club's matchday programmes, web site annd archives.

Kok-tee Khaw, sec 43, died  on 17 November 2022 after breaking  her neck when she accidentally fell  down the stairs.  Her husband informed the School.  She was in Badminton. 

Helen Mary Quinnell (Read), sec 22, died peacefully on 3 September 2022 aged 87, having had heart problems that finally became too much. Her husband informed the School.  A Telegraph notice of her death is here;  she is described as a much loved wife, a loving mother and a proud grandmother.

Jennifer Grant-Rennick (Lang), sec 27,  a member of Beaufort, died peacefully at home  on 27 September 2022.  A Telegraph death notice is here and one for her late husband Richard (who died in 2004) is here.  They had married in 1979.  In her News she occasionally mentioned her writing - incuding (though not by title)  "Pride Without Prejudice: the Story of London's Guilds and Livery Companies " (published 1975 with author given as Jennifer Lang) and "Country Affairs" (a novel published in 1995 with author given as Jennifer Rennick). The School  and Association were informed of her death by her nephew, who described her as a staunch supporter of the School who enjoyed living close by (in Cherington and then Tetbury) for much of her life,  Her funeral was well attended, including by a number of her contempories  who had remained friends for life.  

Helen Lilley (Blakeborough), sec 23, died in 2022.   She was in Holford, as was her sister (sec 27).  Helen married in 1964, had a daughter and a son, and was widowed in 1977.  Later there were grandchildren.  For much of her life she worked in children's cancer research.  In a memory webpage here (which includes a photograph), her family describe her as "much loved", and "a practical lady" who would prefer donations to a cause (they suggested Bassenfell Manor, whose work she had supported) rather than flowers.  Applauded in 1985 as "the most prompt and regular contributor" to her section's entry in the Association News, she continued sending News into her eighties.

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The following deaths were announced at the 2023 AGM /GCM having been published in the 2022 Association News 

Mary Hall (Sercombe), sec 22, died on 30  January 2022,  a few days after her 87th birthday - after a year of leukaemia, her weakened immune system had not been able to resist Covid-19.   Another member of her section  reported Mary's death in her own message for the Association News.  She, a year senior, had met Mary at Westonbirt, both being in Badminton.    Following school, both began their nurses' training at St Thomas's Hospital, London.    Though Mary moved to Exeter to be able to care for her very ill father and completed her training there, they kept in touch .     Mary and her future husband met in London.  He was an American financial planner and she became an invaluable assistant to him over the years.   They married in Exeter and celebrated their Diamond Wedding in January 2020.    He was on many mission and church boards;  they were very generous to the many causes in which they were interested; they were very active in their local Southern Baptist Church in California.   Mary was survived by her husband, their two children, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Miranda Filmer, sec 79, died of neuroendocrine cancer on 10 June 2022, aged 30.   A weekly boarder and member of Dorchester, she met some of her best friends at Westonbirt, where she was also introduced to  lacrosse which became a lifetime passion; she played with Cirencester as an adult.   She was at Westonbirt from 2003 (when she was 11) until 2010.  and then went to Loughborough University, reading Geography and gaining a 2.1.  The family informed the School that she had died. A notice of her death and details of a service of thanksgiving on 7 September 2022 is here.   Horse and Hound wrote (here) of how, after her diagnosis in 2017, she continued her equestrian activities,  including competing - videos are listed here;  two (from 2018 and 2019) can be watched.  The Horse and Hounds article includes details of how to contribute to a neuroendocrine cancer research project in her memory - the Miranda Filmer  Appeal.

Rosemary Campbell (Fraser), sec 13,  died peacefully on 12 May 2022, aged 95.  She had spent the final six months of her life in a care home in Marlborough but remained fairly lucid until the end.  Having been been taught by a governess at home until she was 14, going to Westonbirt was a challenge,   She always retained a great affection for the School and the daily bus trips from bedroom at Corsham to classroom at Bowood.  (She had been at the School when it was evacuated).  She was an active member of the Association to the end, and contributed wartime memories a couple of yeas before her death.  Rosemary married in 1950;  her husband, Angus, died in 2011.  They left 3 children (one of whom informed her section representative of Rosemary's death) as well as grandchildren.  A notice of her death is here.

Ann Kendal Durrant (Griffiths), sec 11,  died at home on 30 April 2022, aged 97.  Her husband Richard predeceased her.  A loving mother of  four children (one of whom  told her section representative of the death), she was also a dearly beloved mother-in-law and grandmother.  Her sister, a member of section 9, was living in Australia  when Ann sent her entry for the 2021 Association News, in  which she remembered when she and a friend (who later joined section 13) took a lilo out on the lake and had so much fun that they completely forgot about roll-call!  Ann escaped the sixth form, saying she had to do war work.  She worked at the Army Remount Department in Melton Mowbray looking after the horses of the Household Cavalry and the Blues and Royals.  She married in 1949 and  was a magistrate for 30 years.  A notice of her death is here, and a tribute page here.

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The following deaths were  announced at the 2022 AGM and published in the 2022 Association News

Diane Stibbard (Brocklehurst) , sec 36, died on 21 November 2021.  Her husband informed her section representative .

Gillian Blum (Gregory), sec 14, died on 3 July 2021.  Her executor notified the Association.  She married Jorgen E Blum in 1950, and they had three children.  An account of her life, with a photograph of her standing next to a bust of her late husband, is here; an account of her husband's life (1917-2003) is here.

Elspeth Weaver (Bolus), sec 44, died in a car crash in France on 21 February 2022.  Her funeral was on Thursday 3 March,  She was a member of Dorchester. Her sister,  a member of section 47, informed the Association President of the sad news and set up a JustGiving page on Facebook in Ellie's memory.  

Myrth Russell (Hudson), sec 29, died peacefully at home on 15th January 2022.   One of her two children informed her recent successor as section representative.   She was at Westonbirt 1953-1958, in Gloucester.  She joined the Association in 2014, and was section 29 representative from 2017 until 2020 when she reported that she had a slow-growing NET.   Myrth left three grandchildren.   A musician herself, her last contribution to the Association News (in 2021) was that her 14-year-old granddaughter was carrying on the musical tradition and getting excellent results in clarsach and flute examinations  - adding that the clarsach was played at weddings, so her granddaughter would be able to earn her way!   The Telegraph  notice of Myrth's death (here) has  a photograph as well as details of her funeral on 4 February. 

Christine Clyne, sec 33, died 4 December 2021.  The Association President was informed the next week by her section representative.   An obituary,  with photograph, appeared in the Scotsman (here), which  described Chris's life as an haute couture fashion designer who was also involved in many other activities in Edinburgh; she had moved there after her marriage in 1973 and stayed for over 35 years.  The couple had two daughters before the marriage ended.  Chris eventually moved to the Cotswolds to be near her daughters and their families but continued working, widening her field to include interior design.

(Susan) Pamela Rose (Gibson), born 29 November 1917, died 17 October 2021.   It is not known whether she joined what was then the Old Girl's Club; she does not appear in the 1946 address list.  She was probably contemporary with members of section 5.  She started a career as an actress, but worked to Bletchley Park in WW2.   She was a major contributor to Tessa Dunlop's  "The Bletchley Girls".   In 1946, she married Jim Rose., whom she had met at Bletchley.  He pointed out that as an actress she would be going to work when he was coming home - she did not return to the stage until after he died in 1999.   She left two children, five grandchildren and  six great-grandchildren.  Obituaries appeared in the Times (paywalled), the Irish Times and the Guardian.

Jean Wykeham Marr MBE, sec 14, Hon Member, died 19 October 2021.   The  Association was informed of her death that day.   In the winter of 2019-20, she had moved from Devon to a care home in Inverness where she was well looked after.  Unfortunately, she broke her leg in a fall on 13 September 2021;  the leg was pinned in hospital, but she continued to deteriorate.
She studied dietetics with Gwyneth Widdicks (Hatt-Cook, sec 15, d. 1979) and was her bridesmaid and godmother to her children. Jean represented section  14 from 1953 to 2018 as well as, for at least two periods, section 13.  For her extremely long and dedicated service as a section representative she was awarded Honorary Membership of the Association in 2015 - this amused her.
Her funreral was held in Inverness, with a memorial service in Totnes (where she had lived for many years)  at St Mary's Church.   Her ashes were interred in the grave of a long-term friend  (another dietician, with whom she had shared a home for over 40 years) in Salcombe Regis.

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The following deaths were announced at the 2021 AGM and published in the 2022 Association News

[Dr Kenneth (Ken) Hylson Smith, husband of past headmistress Mrs Hylson Smith, died 2 February 2021, aged 85.  An obituary in the Church Times is available here.    For a service of thanksgiving for his life in Bath Abbey  - see here and here.]

(Mrs) Mary Rose Farley (Miss Bateman), staff section, Hon Member, born 1935, died 8 September 2021 aged 86.  She went to St Anne’s College, Oxford (MA), and did her CertEd at Cambridge.  She was Assistant English Mistress at Westonbirt 1957-60, and Head of English 1964-69.  She taught at Ashford School 1960–61, Lady Eleanor Holles School 1961-64 and Brighton and Hove High School 1969-71.  She was Headmistress, Berkhamsted School for Girls, Herts, 1971–80, and Headmistress, Perse School for Girls (1981-89).  She married 1990, and was widowed 1996.  A much liked teacher and  very entertaining company, she was a regular attender after retirement at Association meetings, and at similar events for Berkhamsted and The Perse Girls' past pupils.  The Stephem Perse Foundation reports her death (with a photograph) here.   Berkamsted Connections reports her death (with photographs) here.

Elizabeth Kay Wicks (Butcher), sec 19, died peacefully at home on 5th August aged 89 years, leaving two daughters and three grandchildren.  A notice of her death is here.  She was at Westonbirt from 1944 to 1949, in Badminton.  She successfully led a deputation to the Headmistress, Miss Grubb, for a change to a rule that had been the cause of bullying;  Miss Grubb later described her as most reliable; trustworthy; possessing independence; not afraid to stand up for what she believed to be right, her influence being constantly for the good.  Elizabeth studied nursing at the John Radcliffe in Oxford, became an SRN,  and won the Nurse of the Year award.   She met her husband, Dr Allan Wicks CBE, at a concert that he was conducting; they married in 1955.  He died  in 2010;  his Guardian obituary praised the excellence of the team they had made.    One of Elizabeth's daughters informed her section representative of her death, and commented that her mother had loved Westonbirt, and thoroughly appreciated the Association and how well it kept in touch.   Elizabeth kept in touch in return - she was  a frequent contributor to the Association News, mentioning many activities which included becoming a JP, a Churchwarden and opening her garden.  She made many trips and holidays, though her News entries show her destinations were closer to home as she aged.  She lived independently until the last 2-3 months of her life, when she had two strokes and required carers at home.

Beth Barrington-Haynes, sec 25, died peacefully on 10th August 2021 after a lengthy and uncomplaining battle against cancer. She was a much loved sister, aunt, great aunt and godmother. She had been in Holford.  A notice of her death is  here.

Sylvia Landsberg (Barkley), sec 16, died in June 2021, aged 93.  She came to Westonbirt from Surbiton High School, where she had been a pupil from the age of 5 to 15.  Initially she was in Gloucester.  She moved to Beaufort as the first head of house  after it was restored in 1946,   (Beaufort had been disbanded during the war).  She studied botany at at the University of London.  In 1952 she produced " Trees of Westonbirt School",  detailing the trees on the estate.  The School used it as a presentation book, e.g to leavers, and as a textbook.   (An earlier presentation book had been Woodward, "Trees of Westonbirt",  pub. 1933, and a later presentation book was Freeman, "Weston Birt", pub. 1956).   In 1955, Sylvia was awarded a PhD in ecology by the University of Aberdeen.  She married the theoretical physicist Peter Landsberg early the same year.   Her husband died in 2010.   The British Museum published her book, The Medieval Garden, in 1996.   Her work as a historian and designer of gardens, mostly in Hampshire, Is included iin a Guardian obituary written by one of their three children.    

Moira Crabtree Gilbert (Melvin), sec 23, died in hospital on 23 May 2021, unexpectedly though she had  been unwell for two or three months. Her husband informed her section representative, telling her that Moira had been very proud of Westonbirt School, and always took a great interest in the Association News in order to keep up to date with what was going on; they had regretted that living too far away had prevented them from attending events.  A notice of her death is here.

Mary Cave (Rawlence), sec 34, died early in May 2021 after suffering from MS for several years.  Her section representative had had a lovely long telephone conversation with her earlier in the year;  Mary had many happy memories of her time at Westonbirt.

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The following deaths were announced at the 2021 AGM and published in the 2021 Association News

Prudence Helen Mennell (Vansittart), sec 11, died at peace on 24th March 2021 aged 97. She was in Badminton.  Her death was mentioned by one of Prudie's neighbours two months later during a section 30 reunion.  A notice of her death is here.  She married in 1946 and had 4 children, 9 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren.  Her husband, (Major) Peter Mennell CMG, MBE (Mil.), who died in his early 60s in 1981, was a diplomat and had been posted to New York, Moscow, Madrid, Cleveland, Kinshasa, Bujumbara, Quito (H.M. Ambassador), Nassau (High Commissioner).

Jane Deborah Seymour, sec 45, born 7 February 1957, died 8 December 2020 of Motor Neurone Disease.  A notice of her death (with a picture) is here.

Kofoworola Aduke Vigo (Kofo Majekodunmi), contemporary with sec 42 & sec 43, born April 14 1953, died 2 October 2020, both in Lagos, Nigeria.  A memorial website is here.

June Jacobs C.B.E. (Caller), sec 17, born 1 June 1930, died 22 July 2018. Before coming to Westonbirt, she had been evacuated to North America in 1940 (needs free sign-in).  She married in 1950; her husband died in 1973.  She left children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Wikipedia described her as a British peace activist and a former President of the International Council of Jewish Women. An interview in 2015 was put on YouTube.   Obituary articles were in the Jewish Chronicle (after a preliminary article and followed by a comment ), The Guardian, The Telegraph (paywalled), The Times (paywalled).  

Virginia (Gini) Anne Dowty, sec 39, died 8 January 2021 after a long battle with cancer.  She had become noted as a dog breeder and was living in the Isle of Man.  She left children and grandchildren. A notice of her death is here and two obituaries are here.

Mrs Elizabeth (Lizzie) Bullingham was a member of staff when she died suddenly at home on 13 Oct 2020, aged 39.  She had  joined the school as Miss Cutts and been at Westonbirt for 12 years, teaching Spanish and French, from reception class in the prep school through to A level. She used her knowledge and experience of teaching abroad to teach Travel and Tourism A level and, after having a baby, taught child care exam courses from Year 10 upwards. Lizzie was also Duke of Edinburgh coordinator, Year 7 tutor, and then Head of Key Stage 3 (ages 11-14).  The service sheet of the celebration of her life is here.

Sallie Hotchkin (Bloomer), sec 19 died peacefully at home on 1 November 2020, aged 88.. Her husband Neil had died in 2004, shortly after his ninetieth birthday.  They had two children and there were three grandchildren when Sallie died. See here for a notice in the Telegraph of Sallie's death.

Jane Sinclair, sec 44, died on 14 January 2021.  At Westonbirt, she was an outstanding all-rounder, and Head Girl.  She read Modern History at St Hugh’s College, Oxford and then trained for the ministry at St John’s College, Nottingham and Nottingham University. She was a lay deaconess at Herne Hill from 1983 to 1986, and then Chaplain and Lecturer at St John’s College, Nottingham.  In 1987 she was among the first women to be ordained deacon, and seven years later she was ordained priest in the Church of England. In 1993 she was appointed  Canon Residentiary and Precentor in Sheffield Cathedral.  She was Vicar of Rotherham from 2003 to 2007, and then Archdeacon of Stow and Lindsey.  She was installed in 2014 as a Canon of Westminster Abbey, and was Rector of St Margaret's for over five years, as well as Chairman of the Westminster Abbey Institute, retiring in April 2020 when the cancer that had been diagnosed some years earlier became more aggressive.  A link to a recording on YouTube of the Westminster Lecture given by her in 2019 ("Is a just society possible?") is here.  The Archdeacon of Boston described her as a gracious, godly and warm person who would be deeply missed (see here and, for a similar article from Westminster Abbey, here). An obituary in the Church Times is here.  A copy of the Telegraph obituary is here.

Elisabeth Abrahams (Langford), sec 25, born 11 July 1937, died at home on 21 December 2020;  close family were with her.  She was in Dorchester.   She loved her time at Westonbirt School and always reminisced very fondly of her time there. She always enjoyed reading all the news in the old girls magazine and attended several reunions. Her older sister joined section 24, and her younger sister, section 27.  Elisabeth's daughter informed the School and the Association of her death.

Rhonwen Ann Watts (Murray), sec 27, born 9 October 1939, died shortly before Christmas 2020, aged 81.  Her daughter informed the school, saying that her mother "was a real advocate of the school and it gave her such a good start in life".  Rhonnie frequently contributed to the Association News, including mentioning in the 2019 issue that she was still playing golf and busy with the family.

Elizabeth Mary Noyce (formerly Bale; later Clarke), sec 23, also known as ‘Bubbles’, passed away peacefully on 3 December 2020 in Sobell House Hospice, Oxford.  She was at Westonbirt from 1946 to 53, first in Sedgwick then Gloucester.  She was section 23 representative for many years, and Editor of the Association News.  She was also section 16 representative for a few years.  Her daughter informed the School of her death.

Felicia Milicevic (Lemon), sec 44, died 12 November 2020.  One of her school friends was told by Felicia's daughter and informed her section representative.  Felicia was in Holford.  

Miss N Olwen Davies, Mathematics, Holford Housemistress, Honorary Member, born 21 March 1926, died 20 June 2020 peacefully at home, aged 94. She was an aunt, grand-aunt and great grand-aunt. She gained an MA at Edinburgh and a DipEd at Oxford. before joining the staff of Girls’ Remand Home, Essex (1948–50),  followed by Russell Hill School, Purley (1950–53) and Woodford House, NZ (1953–57, Dep. Headmistress).  After Westonbirt, she was Headmistress of St Mary's Hall, Brighton (1965-73) and St Swithun's, Winchester (1973-86). In retirement, she lived in the same Hampshire town as her brother Meredith Davies (1922- 2005, conductor).  Her executor informed her section representative of her death.  Notices of her death are here, here and here which has links to her funeral service, memories from past pupils of St Mary's Hall, and a list of those to read at her funeral. 

(Carolyn) Jane Hopkinson (Milner), sec 24, died 9 August 2020, aged 83, at home surrounded by her family, from Motor Neurone Disease which had been diagnosed less than three months earlier. She was in Dorchester.  Her sister (sec 32) informed the Association of her death.  Jane stopped being an active member of the Association before 1999, but continued to be in touch with some contemporaries and to read her sister's copies of the Association News.  A tribute to Jane (with photographs) is here.

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The following death(s) were published in the 2020 Association News and announced at the 2021 AGM

Jane Margaret Wrobel (Wakefield), sec 41, died 25 November 2019 after fighting cancer for two years. She studied Classics at Cambridge University (Girton) for two years, and changed to Anglo-Saxon Norse and Celtic.for her third year; she then qualified and worked as a solicitor.  She was also an artist.  In 2004 she gained a BA in Contemporary Fine Arts (Cumbria Instute of the Arts). She left a husband, three sons and six grandchildren.  The list of Girtonians that had died the previous year appended to the service sheet for a Commemoraton Service at Girton on 1 November 2020 includes her name.

Angela Mary Knapp (Boswell), died 14 October 2019, aged 79, of cancer.  She was in Dorchester.  Though she did not join the Association, she remained in touch all her life with her best friend at Westonbirt (one of her contemporaries, sec 27) .

Ann Thelma Williamson, sec 27, died 29 May 2020.  She was in Dorchester.  Her nephew informed her section representative that Ann had had a mild stroke the day before her death.   Her nephew and other family members were able to speak to her via videocall;  although quiet and tired, she had smiled and interacted a little and showed no signs of distress, but In  the early hours of the morning her condition worsened.  She had been in a care home since the previous autumn, having developed dementia and suffered a fall.  She had settled well in the care home and was well looked after;  she  enjoyed the food and was physically well before the stroke.  Ann had taken her turn as representative for section 27 and also volunteered to act as the Association's Network Coordinator for an experiment to see whether members might find it advantageous to be in contact with another member who had experience of similar life problems;  the experiment was discontinued after a few years (for lack of demand) but had required someone efficient, trustworthy and discreet - Ann was all three. 

(Margaret) Patricia Miller ("Trish" Isaac), not a member of the Association, died 12 April 2017, aged 75.  She was in Holford, contemporary with sec 30.

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The following deaths were published in the 2020 Association News and announced at the 2021 AGM

Helen Louise Hyder (Gordon-Smith), sec 21, died 5 December 2015, aged 82. A notice of her death is here. Her son informed the Association in response to a News mailing. A notice of her husband (Henry Richard Mckenzie Hyder)'s death on 5 January 2020 is here. They left 3 children and two grandchildren.

Clare Carr-Archer (Henton), sec 30, died suddenly at York Hospital, on 15 August 2019. She was in Gloucester, and left from the Lower VIth. A notice of her death, originally in The Yorkshire Post, is here.

Sheila Fraser, sec 8, died peacefully on 17 February 2019, aged 97. Her niece informed her section representative of the death in 2020, and that Sheila, a GP, had been Secretary for the Royal College of GPs and had received an OBE for her contributions to local medical services. Her name appeared in the published 1979 New Year's Honours Liist of awards as "Miss Sheila Edith FRASER, General Medical Practitioner, Bristol". Notices of her death were in The Times and the Bristol Post on 8 March 2019.

Maureen Burnell (Melvin), sec 18, died peacefully on 8 October 2018 aged 88, leaving three sons and five grandaughters. A notice of her death is here. Her sister joined section 23. Maureen was Captain of Games at Westonbirt and left with an exhibition to the Royal College of Music. She performed on television and stage and spent four years with the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company. She married Digby Burnell in 1958; he died in 2003 after a stroke. She published collections of her poems, and also of her dogs' poems (she had a series of spaniels). Maureen went to section reunions and sent regular reports to the Association News, her last being in 2014, when she mentioned contacting a member of section 45 to discuss stocking Maureen's verse in the younger Old Girl's bookshop. Maureen's ashes were buried at Westonbirt shortly before Christmas 2019.

Robin Jane Wells, sec 19, died aged 86 on 29 June 2019, peacefully after a sudden illness. Notices of her death were in the Whitby Gazette and other Yorkshire local papers. Her section representative was informed of the death by a cousin of Robin's partner of over 50 years, as part of his sorting out correspondence after the death of Robin's partner in December 2019. One of Robin's grandfathers was H.G. Wells. She worked as a primary school teacher in Hertfordshire, and then lived in North Yorkshire and County Durham. She was a general cartoonist, artist and children's author; she illustrated her own and others' books. Her "wonderful cards" (as they were described in the Association News by a recipient), sketches of the activities over the year on their farm, were much appreciated by the friends that received them at Christmas. Robin and her partner were an extremely kind and popular couple, and heavily involved with the local hunts (Goathland and Zetland). They were also champion breeders and judges of Dales ponies - Robin was invited to take one of her ponies to the Horse of the Year Show at Olympia in 1986. A 1990 photograph of the couple with two of their mares is here. Robin attended the Westonbirt Reunion in 2013 at Bowood for those that had been pupils there when Westonbirt House had been requisitioned during WW2.

Joanna Cobb died on 20th September 2019, aged 58. An announcement of her death was made in the Telegraph (see here), which included the information that she had recently married. She was in Beaufort, and left Westonbirt from the Upper Vth in 1977. She does not appear to have joined the Association.

Pauline Hathorn (Horrocks), sec 26, died in late 2019. The Membership Assistant was informed by a mutual friend. After Westonbirt, Pauline went to a finishing school in Eastbourne and then did a diploma course to become a heating engineer. The first woman to do the course, she had to use the cloakroom for female staff since there was no provision for female students, She worked as a heating engineer in her father's firm.

Angela Noel Bates, sec 21, died peacefully at home in Pluckley, Kent, on 17 October 2019, aged 85. She was described in the notice in the Telegraph as a "much loved Aunt, Cousin, Godmother and friend to many at Benenden and Wycombe Abbey Schools". She had retired from Wycombe Abbey, where she had been a Housemistress, in 1994, after teaching for 31 years. The information of her death was sent to the Association by a cousin.

(Eirene) Miranda Harris (Dodd), sec 41, who was Deputy Headgirl at Westonbirt, died 28 October 2019 in a car accident while travelling with her husband and two friends in South Africa. An account of the accident, with a photograph of her and her husband, is here (sign-up needed); other accounts are here and here. The two friends also died. Miranda's husband and the driver survived the crash; their condition after being taken to hospital was described as critical but stable. A report, about three weeks after the accident, of evidence collection is here.   Miranda and her husband married in 1976; she left four children and six grand-children. She and her husband co-founded A Rocha, a Christian charity now working internationally for the protection and restoration of the natural world; see https://arocha.org.uk/about-us/ - and https://www.arocha.org/en/our-history/ for its history.

Carolyn Reynolds (Mathison), sec 30, died in May 2019 from septicaemia following a heart valve operation for critical aortic stenosis. She was in Gloucester. Her daughter informed her section representative. Carolyn's sister joined section 33.

Cynthia Kathleen Bryan (Ashley Cooper, then Duncan) was born in 1920 and died peacefully on 31st December 2017. Her death was announced in the Times. She was the widow of Patrick Duncan and Sir Paul Bryan; when she died, she left children, stepchildren, and eleven grandchildren. She left Westonbirt, aged 16, in 1936, and went to a Swiss finishing school for a year before being presented in 1937 and doing the London season as a 'deb', as she describes towards the start of "Not to Be Forgotten: Stories from My Life", published in 2018. It is not known whether she joined the Association.

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The following deaths were published in the 2019 Association News and announced at the 2019 AGM

Judith MGill, sec 38, died in February 2019.  The Association was informed, on behalf of Judith's family, by a member of section 34,  who had re-met Judith when they were both working in Brussels decades earlier;  they had then kept in touch despite their various wanderings - Judith to Paris and London and her friend to the USA.

Ann Ratcliffe (Forsell), sec 16, died 9 February 2019.  Her section representative was informed by her son.  He said that Ann always spoke fondly of her time at Westonbirt, not least as one of those that were evacuated to Bowood during World War 2.  She particularly enjoyed all the sport she did as well as making so many good friends.  Her son was sure that Ann would have wished him to thank the Association for sending all the newsletters over the years, which she had really enjoyed reading.

Sarah Rehman, sec 47, died in January 2019.

Rosalind Cooling (Bentley), sec 11, died peacefully 22 December 2018 with family members at her bedside.  Her son informed the Association that day.

Josephine Smith (Pick), sec 19, died 1 February 2018.  A relative informed her section representative.

Sue Yealland (Simpson), sec 13, died 12 August 2018, at the age of 92.  Her son informed the Association President;  he said that Sue had had fond memories of Westonbirt.  She had been her section's representative for a number of years, and  a regular responder to requests for News, though apologetic in the four years before her death for the absence of actual news.

Patricia Hall (Dickinson), sec 14, died July 2018, having been born in July 1926..  She had last sent News earlier that year and in the two previous years.  She had been a pupil at Bowood and Corsham Court, but not Westonbirt House.   Her daughter informed her section representative of the death.

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The following death was announced at the 2018 AGM and published in the 2019 Association News

Miranda (Mandy) Fraser (Varcoe), sec 31, died 27 September 2017, aged 73.  She was in Gloucester.  A notice of her death is here.  Another member of section 31 informed their section representative.

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The following deaths were published in the 2018 Association News and announced at the 2018 AGM

Hilmary Quarmby (Hunter), sec 31, died suddenly and unexpectedly, mid March 2018, just after her 50th wedding anniversary party.  She was in Badminton.

Jeanne  Parkes (Rees-Reynolds, then Milligan-Manby), sec 20, died 26 February 2018, peacefully at home, aged 85.  Her son informed the School.  A notice of her death is here.  She was in Dorchester.  Her sisters, also in Dorchester, joined the Association as members of sections 17 and 24.  

June Yeoward, sec 23, died 27January 2018.  She was in Dorchester.  Her solicitor informed her section representative.

Pamela Sterry (Dix), sec 19, died 16 November 2016, aged 85.   A notice of her death is here.

Mrs Margaret Jones (later Margaret Breeze) died 12 December 2017 in St Michaels Hospice, Harrogate, aged 88.  She taught Domestic Science,  and  was Holford House mistress in the 1960s.  Her daughter is in section 39.

Nancy Everil Vernon-Harcourt (Leatham), sec 1, died peacefully on 25 October 2017, aged 103.  A notice of her death is here.  Her name does not appear in either the May or September 1928 school lists; it is in the September 1929 list.

Rosemary Lee (Loverock), sec 30, died 25 December 2017.  She was in Holford.  The School was informed of her death by a Holford member of section 31.

Felicity Jane (Flick) MacDonald (Northcote), sec 30, died very peacefully 11 December 2017, aged 74, at St. Andrews Hospice, after a long illness.  She was in Badminton.  Her sister is a member of section 26.  Flick was in section 29 until 2009-2010, when she and 3 others moved to section 30 so that she and all her contemporaries might be in the same section, regardless of when they had left.  Flick continued as section representative of section 29 for two more years bringing her service to about 30 years.   Without her effort, it is unlikely that either of her contemporaries' main reunions, in 1988 and 2008 (30 years after O-levels and 50 years after O-levels) would have taken place. Her niece kindly informed their mailing group (run separately from the Association) of her death, adding that Flick had always been pleased by her continued association with those she had known at Westonbirt;  she had also appreciated the School and had left a donation in her will.  A notice of her death is here.

Yvonne Phillips (McIlroy), sec 14, died 6 November 2017, aged 91.  Her son, who informed the School of her death, wrote that she had been at Westonbirt when the School was evacuated in WW2;  she had had a happy time, was academically successful and a keen lacrosse player, and made  many friendships which were sustained throughout her life.

Penny Rawlinson (Letts), sec 45, died 9 May 2017, aged 59, peacefully after a very short illness.   She was in Beaufort.  A notice of her death is here.

Rachel McFarlane (Swatton), sec 48, died 16 September 2017, aged 57.  She was in Dorchester.  Her husband and two sons survived her.

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The following deaths were announced at the 2017 AGM and published in the 2018 Association News

Elizabeth Reisz, sec 30, died 23 September 2017.  She was in Holford.  She studied Classics at Girton, Cambridge.  She was survived by her son and her second husband.  She had a natural burial in Warblington Cemetery in Havant.

Moira Batchelor (McLellan), sec 19, died mid-2015.  Her death was mentioned in her husband (J R Batchelor)'s obituary in the Guardian; he died 21 December 2015.

Patricia Wheeler (Chassels), sec 22, died April 17.  Her husband informed the School.

Anna Ingledew (Williams), sec 30, died peacefully on 10 August 2017.  A notice of her death is here, saying that she "never stopped fighting and was always thinking of others". 

Jean McCarthy (Fetherstonhaugh), sec 7, died on 26 October 2012.   A notice in the Irish Times of her death is here.

Strelley Waligorska (Acheson), sec 7, died 18 January 2013.  A notice of her death is here.  (The death of her sister, Bridget Fisher, sec 4, on 27 March 1998, was announced in that year.)

Mary Sandeman (Trump), sec 6, died on 8 January 1999.  Her death is mentioned in her husband Pat's obituary here.  Mary's obituary is on page 21 of the May 1999 issue of the Killin News here.

Nina Bearsted (Hearn), sec 6, died peacefully at home on Saturday 9th March 2013, aged 94. A notice of her death is here.

Catherine Daphne Mander, sec 1, died 11 December 2007, aged 93.  A notice of her death is here.

Jean Anderson (Dudgeon), sec 2, died 2005 (information seen online in thepeerage.com on 11 August 2017, said to have been sent to web author of thepeerage.com in email "Re: Anderson Family." dated 18 August 2006). She was an identical twin.

Elizabeth Grant (Dudgeon), sec 2, died 15 December 2002 (information seen online in thepeerage.com on 11 August 2017, sourced as from  Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes, 2003).  She was an identical twin.

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The following deaths were listed in the 2017 Association News and announced at the 2017 AGM.

Yvette Cregan (Birchall), sec 21, died peacefully aged 84 on 7 June 2017.  A notice of her death is here.   Her husband died in 1993, aged 75, see here. 

Emily Bilmes (Rawlence), sec 27, died 30 March 2017, following a long battle with Parkinson's.  Her older sister is in section 24.

Mrs Betty Bullock, an Honorary member of the Association, died in March 2017, aged 97.  She taught French at Westonbirt in the 1970s-1980s.  One of her daughters was at Westonbirt (in Holford) and is a member of section 47.

Mrs Webb (Lulie), an Honorary member of the Association, died in March 2017, aged 92. She taught Drama at Westonbirt in the 1980s.  In 2006, she was awarded the MBE for charitable services in Wiltshire, see here (includes a photograph).  Her husband, 91, survives her. There was a  private family funeral; a memorial service was planned for July 2017, when her birthday would have been.

Esme Elizabeth Nicholson (Maitland), sec 17, died peacefully on 28 January 2017 aged 87 years.  A notice of her death in the Oxford Times is here.  One of her friends in section 17 was informed by Esme's nephew of the death.

Felicity (Lissa) Mills (Elliott), contemporary of sec 39, died unexpectedly on 20 January 2017, aged 66, survived by children and grandsons. .A notice of her death is here.  She left Westonbirt in the summer of 1967.  The section representative for section 39  thinks that Lissa was in Beaufort and had a younger sister Gail, also at Westonbirt, but that neither joined the Association.

Mrs Foden (Miss M E Michael), born 25 March 1929, died 4 May 2008.  She was at Grey Coat Hospital and Farnham Girls Grammer School  before reading History at Girton, Cambridge (B.A. 1950) and studying at Hughes Hall (Cert. Edn. 1951).  She taught History at Westonbirt 1951-53, leaving when she married. Later she worked at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.  She and her husband adopted a daughter and a son.  It seems unlikely that she joined the Association.

Ingrid Divett (Jackson), sec 30, Beaufort, born 1942,  died September 2016.  Her sister is in section 26.

Katharine (Katie) Clarke, not a member of the Association, died 9 December 2016 in King's College Hospital, London.  Born in 1940, she was at Westonbirt from 1951-December 1957, in Gloucester.  One of her sisters is in section 23.

Miss M P C Mackenzie was listed as a Staff Member of the Old Girls Club/Association in Address Lists from at least 1946, with address in Sutton, until 2015 when the occupier of the address contacted the School to say that Miss Mackenzie had not lived at that address for at least 12 years.  In 2017, with the help of a member of soc.genealogy.britain (an online newsgroup) she was found to have been Mary Phylis Chute Mackenzie, born 18 August 1906, who died in Kirkcudbrightshire in 1991.

Mr Herbert Arthur Nickols (Headmaster 1981-1986, a Vice-President of the Association), born 17 January 1926, died peacefully at home 3 February 2017.  His son informed the School.  After graduation (Electrical and Electronic Engineering, B.Sc. Imperial College) Mr Nickols was a Demonstrator at Imperial, and then went to St Edmund's School, Canterbury, initially in a temporary post for one term that stretched to over 30 years - during which he was a  Housemaster, Sen. Science Master and later Dep. Headmaster - before coming to Westonbirt.  His widow is an Honorary Member of the Association; they had 2 sons and a daughter. His funeral was on 21 February in Canterbury Cathedral;  the Association was represented by the Current Staff member, who posted a message about it the same day in Facebook (Westonbirt Association).  It is planned to plant a tree at Westonbirt later in 2017, in his memory.  See here (and search the page for his name) for an obituary.

Sheila Grove-White (Gandar-Dower), sec 12, died 11 January 2017, aged 91.  Her son informed the School.   She is survived by her older sister in sec 11 and their younger sister.  A notice of her death was in The Times, and also on the Daily Gazette and Essex County Standard website

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The following death was announced at the 2016 AGM and listed in the 2017 Association News.

Sue Price (Judd),  sec 22, died peacefully 19 February 2016 in Albany, Australia.  Her husband informed her section representative in September 2016.  A notice of her death is here.

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The following deaths were listed in the 2016 Association News and announced at the 2016 AGM.

Jane Eggleston, sec 41, born 18 June 1953, died 28 January 2015.  See here for tributes and a photograph from 2012.

Miss Margaret Newton (Headmistress Spring 1965-1980, a Vice-President of the Association), born 20 December 1927, died 14 May 2016.   There was a short memorial service on Saturday 1 October at 14:30, in the old church at Westonbirt. A notice of her death is here.  She was head of the classics department at Malvern Girls' College before coming to Westonbirt.

Frances Joan Maundrell, sec 37, born September 1950, died 14 March 2016, suddenly, following a riding accident.   Private burial followed by a Service of Thanksgiving on Monday 4th April at St George’s Church, Ogbourne St George at 3.15pm. Family flowers only. Donations if desired, to Wiltshire Air Ambulance.  Notices of her death are here and here.

Angie Young (Fowler), sec 39, died 17 March 2016, at home.  Her section representative said that she had been incredibly strong throughout her illness (much of the previous two years) until the last few days.  She was survived by her husband; they had no children.

Carol Bryant (not a member, contemporary of section 31) died in November 2016; she had been battling brain cancer.

Elizabeth Mildmay Ashwell (Hopkins), sec 14, died 17 January 2016 in South Africa where she had lived for many years.  She had not been active in the Association for some time;  a  niece sent the information of her death to the section 14 representative. An announcement of her death is here.  A niece is a member of section 40.

Ann Darby (Foxon), sec 39, died towards the end of January 2016 as a result of a brain tumour diagnosed in 2015..  Her funeral was 2 February.  She left 3 sons and a wealth of memories for her contemporaries.   She was a talented artist (her "Rats in the Lab" drawing was reproduced on page 27 of the Association Magazine 1967-68) and appeared many  times on the Westonbirt stage.

Jean Brooke (Pratt, then Hughes), sec 7, died on 23 April 2014, aged 94.  (Her son informed the section 7 representative in response to the January 2016 mailing.) 

Hilary King (Seymour-Cole), sec 15, died 3 February 2013.  A notice of her death is here, and a brief biography here.

Rosemary McMullen (Parker), sec 4, died about 2012.

Bettina Silverwood-Cope (Hunter), sec 9, died 21 April 2013, aged 91.  A notice of her death is here.

Marjorie Macdonald (Lister), sec 9, died 1 May 2015.  (Her son sent a card to the Association News Finance Officer in response to the January 2016 mailing.)

Jean Sneyd (Norman), sec 18, died 15 December 2015. Her eulogy included "As a clever if somewhat bolshy teenager Jean's happiest schooldays were at Westonbirt."

Jennifer Pugh (Murray), sec 19, died 25 September 2015.  She suffered from severe osteoporosis which had led to a number of fractures and problems which she bore bravely.  Her younger sister is in section 21.

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The following deaths were announced at the 2015 AGM and listed in the 2016 Association News.

Mary Nisbet (Lalonde), sec 22, died September 2015. 

Milada Haigh (Weir), sec 28, died peacefully in St Christopher's Hospice on 3 September 2015;  she had reported her cancer diagnosis in the 2014 Association News.   Her two sisters were also at Westonbirt.   Their father, Dr Weir, taught Physics and Chemistry at Westonbirt for many years (among other previous positions, he had taught at the Czech State School set up in an hotel in Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales for refugee Czech children, see here).   Milada was section representative of section 28 from 2004 until a week or so before her death.  Her husband said that St Christopher's Hospice (where she died) would appreciate donations (http://www.stchristophers.org.uk/donate).  He, David, died suddenly mid March 2016.

Margaret Niewland (Alexander), sec 27, died 29 December 2014.

Marta Inskip, not an Association member, died 9 May 2014, the eve of her 89th birthday, after ten years of distressing vascular dementia.   Her sister (section 15) said that Marta was contemporary with members of section 10.  An announcement of her death is here.

Faith Fuller (Kidder), sec 6, born 25 January 1920, died 12 August 2013.  An obituary is here.  A mention of her, three years before her death, is here.

An American, she was at Westonbirt (Holford) for four years.  In 2002 she wrote that the history textbook at Westonbirt "had a paragraph about America headed  'Unpleasantness With the Colonies' and that took care of King George 3rd and our becoming a separate country in about six sentences.  Small wonder when I came back I knew no American History at all, but could tell  the dates and names of all the Kings and the Prime Ministers."    She remembered her years at Westonbirt as "great;  I even got a school gold star after years of detentions and black marks and idiot behaviour!!"

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The following deaths were listed in the 2015 Association News and announced at the 2015 AGM

Prudence Molnar (Wurtzberg), not an Association member, born 7 May 1928, died 5 November 2013.  She was contemporary with members of section 14. 

Prudence's sister, Rosemary Wurtzberg, who was 4 or 5 years younger and also not an Association member, died around 2008.

Anne Bament (Best), sec 30, died in December 2014.

Penny Nairne (Penelope Chauncy Bridges), sec 15, died 23 Dec 2014, aged 87, having been widowed in June 2013.  A note about Penny's death is here.  There was a Thanksgiving Service at St Mary’s Church, Charlbury, on 14 February 2015.  Her sister, Johanna Merz (Bridges), sec 18, died on 26 June 2023. 

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The following deaths were listed in the 2015 Newsletter and the 2015 Association News, and announced at the 2015 AGM.

Daphne Wells (Touche), sec 14, died 5 Jan 2015.  Her daughter (a member of section 40) infomed her section representative.  The funeral was on 30 January at the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Great Henny, Suffolk.

Mary Prentice (Porter) died on 1 Jan 2004.  Sister of Rosemary Porter (see below) and born in 1926, she was contemporary with section 14.  She had fair hair and a pale complexion.  She died of cancer; her son said "I guess she must have picked up smoking as a habit while at Bowood!"  After Westonbirt, she studied Froebel Teaching and "started up Froebel House School in Havant to which many naval officers sent their young kids. It became very famous in a short time. She then started another school called Woodcote School on Kingston Hill in Kingston. Another success.  She then became ill with the loss of a kidney and had to slow down but continued to teach young children at schools around Midhurst to Ditcham Park near Petersfield. She was much loved by many and left a lasting impression on all those she taught."

Charmian Gay Reeve (Rooper) died suddenly on 18 December 2014, aged 69.   A note about her death is here.  She was a contemporary of some members of sections 32 and 33;  her mother, Margaret Rooper (Peggy Liddell), was in section 5, and her mother's sisters in sections 8 and 12.  The daughter of one of her mother's brothers is in section 43.   The funeral was on Friday 9 January 2015.

Elizabeth Ross (Brigg), sec 16, died on 16 December 2014 after a long illness.   Her son said she had had a liking for grand houses ever since her time at Westonbirt, which had been one of the really happy periods of her life; in her later years she talked about it often.

Joan Freeland (Temple), sec 15, died peacefully in her sleep on 3 December 2014.  She was section representative from 1999-2013, the last in-section representative  of section 15.

Juliet Townsend (Smith), sec 29, died of cancer on 29 November 2014, aged 73.   One of her daughters is in section 61.   Juliet was at Westonbirt from 1954 to 1959, in Badminton.   She was the grand-daughter of FE Smith, 1st Earl of Birkenhead, and William Berry, 1st Viscount Camrose.  Among many other activities, she was lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret (full-time 1965-1971 and part-time until the Princess's death in 2002); High Sheriff of Northamptonshire (1991-2); Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire (1998-June 2014).  She was made a DCVO in October 2014.  The beginning of a full-page obituary in the Times (2 December 2014) is here.   The Telegraph obituary (4 December 2014) is here.  Other obituaries are here (Daventry Express) and here (Northampton Chronicle and Echo).    Private funeral; memorial service in January at All Saints', Northampton. 

Helen Danielsen (Davies), sec 33, died 24 October 2014 aged 69 years.  Her husband informed the school in November 2014, asking that the information was passed on to all - she had donated regularly.

Paddy Scott-Clark (Patricia Angus), sec 25, died 18 October 2014.    A note about her death is here.  Her section representative and the Association were represented at the memorial service at St Giles Church, Uley, on 31 October 2014.

Miss Celia Graham died 4 November 2014, having bravely fought cancer for quite a long time.  She taught PE at Westonbirt for many years.

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The following deaths were announced at the 2014 AGM and listed in the 2015 Newletter and the 2015 Association News.

Sue Powell (Watkins), died 30 September 30 2014 of motor neurone disease.  She entered Sedgwick in 1950 and was then in Dorchester.

June Gardner-Brown (Napier), sec 7, died 18 July 2012.  A death notice is here.  An article written about her in 2001 is here.

 Carol Walford (Hutton-Wilson), section 7, died peacefully on 12 February 2012 after a short illness, aged 92 years.  Her daughters are in sections 41 and 42.   (Copy of death notice here.)

Meg Arkle (Buggis), section 10, died 9 January 2012 aged 89.  She was Head of Gloucester in 1939.  (Copy of death notice here.)

Jane Mumford (Glover), section 15, died on 13 December 2011.  Her funeral was on 22 December 2011 in Zeals, Wiltshire, where her husband (a past Bishop of Truro) is buried.   (Copy of death notice here.)

Jillian Rennie, section 23, died 17 March 2012. (Announcement by Leeds University, with brief c.v. and details of funeral, here. (21 Mar 2012))  There will be a brief obituary in the 2012 Association News.

Gaye Bruce-Smythe (Croysdill), section 25, died at home on 5 July 2011 aged 73.  (Copy of death notice here.)

Philippa Vibert (Hutton), section 31, died 5 March 2012 of mesothelioma.  Her sister is in section 29. (Copy of death notice here.)

Frances Abbott (Paton), section 35, died in a car accident on 15 March 2011.  She had a son and daughter and a much loved grand-daughter.  Her sister is in section 39.

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The following deaths were announced at the AGM in October 2011, and listed in the 2012 Association News.

Pamela Vestey (Armstrong) section 5, died on 2 September 2011, aged 93.  The Lilydale & Yarra Valley Leader (15 Sep 2011) had an obituary, as did The Age (7 Sept 2011) .  The Times announced a thanksgiving service at 11:30, Friday 18 Nov at St Sepulchre's, Holborn Viaduct, London.

Beryl Bunting (Irby), section 7, died on 28 February 2011. 

 Janet Wharton (Strain) section 22,  Dorchester, died on 24 May 2011.  Two WB girls of the same year were at the funeral, which she had planned herself, ending with St Patrick's Breastplate and the Nunc Dimitis which she and her contemporaries had sung so often at Vespers.  

  Diana Lamplugh (Howell) section 24, Dorchester, died  on 18 August 2011, aged 75.  There are obituaries online, e.g. from the Telegraph (18 Aug 2011).   A memorial service was held in Mortlake Parish Church (All Saints'?) at 1:30pm on Sunday 25 September 2011.

Margaret Perera (Batten), section 24, of Woking died peacefully at Kettlewell House Nursing Home, Woking, Surrey on 3rd December 2010 aged 74 years.  (Copy of death notice here.).

 Jane Walker, section 28, died in Madrid on 3 August 2011, aged 69, of pancreatic cancer.   There was an obituary in the Irish Times (that requires a subscription), and others in Spanish publications including El Pais (4 August 2011).

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The following deaths were listed in the 2011 Association News and announced at the AGM in October 2011 (or October 2012 for Pamela Knapp)

    Mrs Joyce Wright (Miss Hyde, staff (music)), died 25 Jan 2011

    Pam Knapp (Hartley, section 4), died 16 May 2011 (an Hon. Member of Association; death announced at 2012 AGM)

    Nancy Coverdale (Loudon, section 8), died in 2009

    Sally Sparrow (section 8), died 28 June 2010

    Margaret Bruton (Johnson, section 9), died 27 Feb 2011

    Anne Hetherton (Waldman, section 9), died 31 January 2011

    Aileen McCorkell (Booth, section 9), died 25 December 2010

    Barbara Bond (section 15), died 31 Dec 2010

    Letitia Holt (section 24), died in 2010

    Jacque Groome (section 25), died 14 May 2010

    Julie Fuad (Kemp, section 27), died 6 Feb 2011

    Jennifer Gunning (Hansell, section 32), died 14 January 2010

    Ali Warington-Smyth (Hocking, section 41), died 25 Oct 2010

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The following deaths were announced at the AGM in October 2010

    Barbara Kershaw (Crookenden)

    Gabrielle Williams-Wynn (Caffin, section 4)

    Joy Burden (Dickinson, section 5)

    Diana Mathews (Goschen, section 5)

    Pat Worthington (Johnstone, section 11)

    Lillian Ramsey (Bateman, section 14)

    Judith Duckworth (Medill, section 20)

    Gillian Duncan (Burton, section 24)

    Suzanne Howitt (Le Tissier, section 27)

    Clare Boyle (Sykes, section 30)

    Claire Bushnell (Drew-Edwards, section 42)

    Angela Walker (section 42)

    Sarah Lamping (section 64)

    Louisa Crisp (section 65)

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The following deaths were announced at the AGM in October 2009

    Rachel Cane (Godwin, section 2)

    Nancy Roberts (Fraser-Campbell, section 3)

    Diana Mathews (Goschen, section 5)

    Charmian Crossman (Hanson, section 15)

    Pamela Brake (Stock, section 15)

    Nicky Hockey (Walsh, section 20)

    Pippa Gray (Warren, section 24)

    Miss M Naylor (hon. member of Association, staff section, past Dir of Mus)

    Mr Robert Gates (hon. member of Association, staff section, past Head Groundsman)

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The following deaths were announced at the AGM in October 2008

    Mavis Carrington    September 2008

    Nirmala Nigam      5/10/06

    D M Weiner (Barwick) 7/2/08

    Margot Smith (Graham Brown, section 6) 24/5/07

    Phillipa Boot (Bennett, section 7)  24/5/07

    Suzanne Helen Spencer-White (section 8)

    Mary Godwin (Winstanley, section 9)  15/1/08

    Margaret Powell (Clarke, section 10)   6/1/07

    Rosemary Davis (Hobbs, section 16) July 2007

    Rachel Tuson (Rae, section 23)

    Susan Marriot Taylor (Sweet, section 30)  24/2/07  **

    Nicola Garnham (Griffin, section 46) 7/3/08

    Carla Von Simson (section 65)  July 2007

    Mr A R Grant (hon. member of Association, staff section)

    Mr John Hamilton (hon. member of Association, staff section)  November 2007

    Mrs L B Maclure (staff section, past teacher of Music)  7/9/07

 ( ** Further information:

    Susan Marriott Taylor: (1955-1960, Dorchester, left from Lower VI in July 1960; widow of John S Taylor;  her second husband notified her section representative;  she left two stepchildren, see here

             After her death, section 30 became a section of contemporaries, and Susan Marriott Taylor's section was changed to 31 on the database, as would have happened if she had still been alive.)

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The following deaths were announced at the AGM in October 2007

Jean Howard (Arlington (4),

Dr June Alexander (Tyson) (11 ),

Gillian Ash (Little) (15),

Caroline Miles (Leslie) (16),

Ruth Aileen Mitchell (16),

Bridget Flower (Duncan) (27),

Rosalind Topham (Lovell) (29) **,

Judy Kynnersley (42),

Katherine Hollis (Kay)

 ( ** Further information:

    Rosalind Topham: (left from Lower VI in 1959).  

   After her death, section 30 became a section of contemporaries, and Rosalind Topham's section was changed to sec 30 on the database, as would have happened if she had still been alive.)

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The following deaths were announced at the AGM in October 2006

    Miss Margaret Guest (Staff)

    Muriel Robinson (Gay, section 8)

    Wendy Forwood (French-Smith, section 10)

    Mary Ferguson (section 11)

    Dawn Cookson (section 12)

    Anne Tyler (McLagan, section 13)

    Georgina Kirkland (Birdwood, section 23)

    Sally Watson (Lane, section 24)

    Sue Lacey (Renshaw, section 31)

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The following deaths were announced at the AGM in October 2005

    Mrs Harvey-Webb (staff section, hon. mem.)

    Mrs Irving Bell (ex-staff,non-member)

    Mrs (Audrey) Shaw (staff section, hon. mem.)

    Miss M W S Todd (staff section, hon. mem.)

    Diana Bell (de Jersey, section 1)

    Ailsa de Mille (Oglivy), section 1)

    June Shackleton (Rickards,section 8)

    Molly Tomlinson (Busi, section 10)

    Jean Barr (Bradbrook, section 16)    15 April 2005 (her daughter informed her section representative)

    Audrey Falk (Corcos,section 16)

    Anne Martyn (Scott, section 16)

    Jillian Rawlings (Frearson, section 19)

    Eve Phillips (Neale, section 34)

    Jane Westwater (Clifford, section 39)  22 April 2005

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The following deaths were announced at the AGM in October 2004

    Audrey Rogers (section 2)

    Betty Clay (Baden-Powell, left 1932)

    Ursula Gilmour (Wills,section 4)

    Odette Wylie (Murray,section 6)

    Jean Hewitt (Corn,section 15)   4 November 2003 having had Parkinson's Disease

    Pamela Fausset-Farquhar (section 16)

    Salma Bodhan (Ikramullah,section 25)    29 Dec 2003 (notice in The Times 31 Dec 2003)

    Molly Strang (Francis,section 41)

    Etsuko Sugiyama (section 61)

    Miss Ayres (staff section, hon. mem., Senoir Matron, Badminton Matron, aged 103)
(In 2022 , one of her first cousins once removed, a member of section 22F, mentioned that Miss Ayres had been a great friend of Miss Grubb.)

    Miss G M Lilley (staff section, hon. mem., Dorchester Housemistress, History, aged 99)

    Miss C M Scott-Smith (past Headmistress, vice-president)

    Miss J Sproston (staff section, Domestic Bursar, hon. mem.)

    Dr Catherine Steele (ex-staff, non-member) 18 April 2003, in Toronto, aged 93. Her life spanned 80 years at Havergal (Canadian Girls' school,where Miss Popham taught in the 1920s) as pupil, history teacher, the school's fourth Principal (1952-1970) and Principal Emerita, with intermissions that included teaching history for a year at Westonbirt in the 1930s and in the East End of:London in WW2, and being educational director of the Royal Ontario Museum. [Information from Popham, "Boring - Never!"; The Globe and Mail,11 June 2003; Havergal webpage]

    Miss B G Venning  (staff section, hon. mem., Beaufort Housemistress, History)

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The following deaths were announced at the AGM in October 2003

    Miss JM Addison (staff section, hon. mem.)

    Miss EAM Callister (staff section, hon. mem.)

    Miss K Eidmans (ex-staff non-member);

    Anne, Duchess of Westminster (Nancy Sullivan, section 1)

    Rachel Millet (Howell-Evans, non-member, joined Westonbirt 1929)

    Daphne Crook (Batten, section 2)

    Jean Harrison (Crawford,section 2)

    Felicity Farquharson (non-member)

    Elizabeth Pidsley (Harcourt-Vernon, section 3)

    Jacqueline Hamilton-Fisher (Laurence-Easterbrook, section 10)

    Sue Pudney (Duncanson, section 36)

    Anne Hoilund-Carlsen (Stump, section 42)

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The following deaths were announced at the AGM in October 2002

    Miss Frances Davies (staff section)

    Miss Patricia Hopkins (staff section)

    Miss J A Butcher (staff section)

    Susan Nickell-Lean (Smith, section 5/6)

    Olga Riley (MacDonald then Woosnam-Mills, section 1)   17 December 2001

    Pamela Hawke-Genn (section 2)    22 February 2002

    Phoebe Hollebone (Howitt, section 3)

    Barbara Hicks (Bate, section 4)   18 May 2001

    Pamela Higham (Edwards, section 9)

    Anne Watkins (Mackie, section 14)

    Nanette Pearce (Gilbertson section 16)

    Judith Patricia Foster (Lowe, section 19)

    Gillian Haviland (Johnstone, section 23)

    Zara Bruzzi (Eve, left mid 1950s - not a member)

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The following deaths were announced at the AGM in October 2001

    Sheila Hingston (Hutcheson, section 5)

    Mary Normand (Bishop, section 14)        25 June 2001

    Valerie Foord (Atcherley-Symes, section 15)

    Jane Eilertsen (Poynor, section 17)

    Bridget  Girling (Peterkin, section 22)

    Miss Vanstone (Staff)

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The following deaths were announced at the AGM in October 2000

    Mrs Chamberlin (Irby, staff section)

    Major Millman (Staff)

    Joan Lowe (Muir, section 7)

    Joan Bottomley (Sutcliffe, section 10)

    Elizabeth Gibson (Panton, section 14); 

    Elizabeth Crookshank (Furness, section 24); 

    Margaret de Gruyther (Black, section 34); 

    Joanna Kidston (Panton, section 38); 

    Sasha Rainy-Brown (section 68).

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The following deaths were announced at the AGM in October 1999

Rowena Marshall (S5);

Peggy Roper (Liddell S5);

Edith Baird (Panton S6);

Margaret Hooper (S10);

Diana Sears (Lister S11);

Diana Farr (Goldson S13);

Sheila Weston (Mummery S13);

Valerie Thompson (Woodward S14);

Fidelia Somervell (Fogg S19);

Judy Berryman (Neame S26);

Susan Davies (Wade S30);  **

Clare Whittaker (Chilton S36);

Debbie Wade (Jefferson S37);

Mrs Romay Annett (Staff, Science);

Miss P M Snow (Staff, Classics)

          non-members of the Association:

                  Lucy Battle (born 1973);

                  Mrs Heather Larkins (p/t Geog);

                  Carol Lawton (Brenard) aged about 60.

 ( ** Further information:
  Susan Davies: (left from Lower VI in 1960; middle name: Mary; biirth registered 1st qtr 1944. 
    After her death, section 30 became a section of contemporaries, and Susan Davies (née Wade)'s section was changed to sec 31 on the database, as would have happened if she had still been alive.)

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The following deaths were announced at the AGM in October 1998

               Viscountess Selby (S1);

               Tryce Taylor (S1);

               Pamela Sparke-Davis (Deuchar S1);   [Her middle name was Evelyn. Her maiden name was misspelt as Denchar in the AGM minutes and the Association News, and other Association papers from some time after 1987 until after her death;  the error probably arose when the first "database" was created in 1994;  her sisters were in sections 4 and 9]

               Molly Richardson (Goschen S2);

               Bridget Fisher (Acheson S4);

               Gillian Nicholson (Ringland S11);

               Betty Lovatt (O’Toole S14);

               Margaret Atkin (Mackie S20);

               Jillian Carter (Leigh S21);

               Jane Vernon (Kilham-Roberts S22);

               Jean Bridgeman (S22);

               Anya McCracken (S39);

               Mr Derek Bateman (ex-Governor);

               Mr Geoffrey Higgins,(Organist 1971-1976)

(not Association members:

                     Aline Margery Sinclair-Thompson (early OG);

                     Mrs M Mander (Head of Classics);

                     Mrs S Cranshaw (Music );

                     Miss Crocket (Dancing, Games))

Death occurred 1998 but found out by research  in 2024

                  Eva  Renee Cathcart (sec 1, probably Beaufort from her News in 1996) born  10  March 1914, died 1998.  She was the daughter of Augustus Ernest Cathcart and Hilda Renee Lee, who had married in 1913.  He was killed in action in September 1914.  (For sources, see here,  here and here.)

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The following deaths were announced at the AGM in September 1997

               Pamela WINGATE (Waters, S1; a Vice-President);

               Alison PEPPE (Johnson, S1);

               Oonagh WALSH-KEMMISH (Walsh, S1);

               Daphne MACDONALD (Dumvell-Lees, S1);

               Peggy ROOPER (Liddell, S5);

               Lesley KENT (S59);

               Beverley EVANS (Thould, Holford Matron 1985-1986 - not an Association member)

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The following deaths were announced at the AGM in September 1996

               Mrs Irene M. KEIR (Badminton Matron during the 60’s)

               Mrs PAXTON (English, Holford Matron 1937-1939)

               Anna HORNBY (S1)

               Catharine ROYDEN (Coward, S1, 10/94)

               Barbara DIXON (Pitt, S2, Section Rep. for 27 years, 28/6/96)

               Ann OLIVER (Vachell, S5, c.7/96)

               Maxine AUDLEY (Hecht, S8)

               Joan FRANKLIN-ADAMS (Turville, S10, early 96)

                Gianetta CARR (Abbey, S17, 6/96)

               Judy GORING (Morris, S28, Dorchester, notified 8/96)

 non-members:

              Jane EATON-MATTHEWS (3/96)

              Dorothy QUAYLE (Hyson)

              Barbara BOTTOMLEY (Vardon, 11/94 aged 75) 

              Miss BRIDGER (Beaufort Matron, 10/95).

[In 2009, her secrep said that Sheena MURPHY (Renny, sec 27) died in 1996]

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Death occurred 1995 but found out by research  in 2022

          Miss Gladys VENNING, born  30 Oct 1896, died  17 August 1995, not a member of the Association.  She was Matron of the Junior house of Westonbirt, at Spye House, from January 1943 to July 1945.   Though not formallly qualified, she worked as a Matron at 13 different sschools from September 1921 to July 1966, gaining knowledge and communicating well with local GPs.  (She would herself have trained to be a doctor if her family had been affluent enough.)  Her autobiography,  "A Matron Remembers, reminiscences of School Life over forty-five years", was published in 1985, with enough crumbs of information about her family for her to be identified in GRO and Probate Office records.

Deaths reported early 1990s

        Dr (Michael Knollys) BRAYBROOKE (b. 1899, d. 1991),  GP in practice in Tetbury with Dr Sedgwick, hon. mem.

        Miss B M PATTERSON, Staff section

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Died 1991

    Miss (Faith Honor) GIB, Gamesmistress at Westonbirt May 1928-1951, born 15 Oct 1899, died 1991.

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The Association News 1989 included news of the following deaths

Mrs NEWMAN (Miss Sheila Byrne, Feb 1989, Domestic Science teacher, including in the war years)

Charmian BEVERLY  (Spencer Phillips, S1, 1988) 

Margaret ARNOLD (Day, contemporary of S1,1988)

Joan BOODDAM-WHETHAM (S10)

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The Association News 1988 included news of the following deaths

        Betty HEARD (Montgomery, S2, 28 Mar 1987)

    Anne WALSH (S8)

    Miss BADOCK (History teacher, 1987)

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The Association News 1987 included news of the following deaths

        Miss Edna M BACON (Head of Modern Languages 1952-1965, hon. mem.)

       Diana Wynn BALLANTYNE (s19) born  16 January 1931, diied October 1996;  she was Headmistreess of Edgehill College in Devon and had been suffering from leukemia  for some time..

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The Association News 1986 included news of the following deaths

        Miss Ethel Annie POTTER (1896-1985, Biology Teacher 1928-1962; Head of Science, Senior Mistress, Deputy Head, June 1985, hon. mem.)

     Mrs Angela Ruth SOUTH (Miss Mason, 28 February 1902-1986; Natural Sciences at Girton, Cambridge,  Vice Principal  May 1928-1932, responsible for the academic side; married 27 September 1932 and had two daughters)

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The Association News 1985 included news of the following deaths

        Miss (or Dr) Violet Margaret GRUBB (b. 7 November 1898; d. 24 January 1985), Headmistress, President (then Vice-President) of the Association.  She studied at Westfield College, London (B.Sc, 1920).  She was an assistant lecturer in Botany ai Westfield (1923-5; D.Sc. 1925).  Then, until 1930, she was a science teacher at a Girls' School in China (set up  by a Chinese woman who had studied at Westfield College) and  a lecturer at Hunan Province University.  She was then a lecturer in botany at Westfield College(1931-7), Headmistress of Westonbirt (1937-55) and Principal  of Salisbury Training College (1955-62).   She was President of the Association of Headmistresses of Boarding Schools (1943-5),  Chairman of the Association of Independent and Direct Grant Schools (1950-3),  member of the Central Advisory Council for Education (1956-9)  and a member of the Advisory Council for the Science Museum (1957-64).  (Source: Burke's Irish Families Records, 1976, p.535.)  See also https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/16811/lot/105/ (seen 15 October 2023) for an account of sale of an Album comprising papers of Miss Violet Grubb and Miss Winifred Galbraith, relating to their adventures as teachers at the I Fang Girls Collegiate School, Changsha, Hunan, during the Communist insurgency of 1927. 

     Miss Katherine M WARBURTON (1899-24 Dec 1984, English teacher for over 30 years; helped move the school to Bowood and Corsham Court at start of WW2; author of Westonbirt School Hymn; hon. mem.)

        Miss J M A STOTT (died June 1984, aged 80, taught English 1937-1941, Holford Housemistress)

    Mrs BUTLER (mentioned in staff section report)

    Anthea GASKELL (member of Beaufort House 1961-1966, mentioned in staff section report)

    Rosemary DEVONSHIRE-JONES (Huges, mentioned in sec13-14 report)

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Died 1982

        Miss Margaret E POPHAM (b. 5 Sep 1894, Headmistress (1933-1937), President and then Vice-President of the Association) died in 1982.

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Died 1979

        Gwyneth J. WIDDICKS (Hatt-Cook),sec 15, birth registered in third quarter 1928, died 29 November 1979 at home after a long illness surrounded by her loving family.  She studied dietetics with Jean Marr (sec 14, d. 2021) who was her bridesmaid and godmother to her children,.

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Died 1976

        Miss Margaret E(velyn) Freeman, born 4 September 1890, death registered in 2nd quarter of 1976;  studied French, Old French and Italian at Girton, Cambridge 1909-1913 (MA 1924); played in Cambridge Women's Hockey XI; teacher at Wycombe Abbey 1913-1914;  a V.A.D. (acting as an Orderly) at the Scottish Women's Hospital at Royaumont (see Eileen Crofton, "The Women of Royaumont: Scottish Women's Hospital on the Western Front") and then a Priv, Sec. in the Ministry of Munitions in WW1 (British War Medal 1915-18; Allied War Medal 1915-18; Insigne des Infirmières, Ministère de Guerre, France, 1918}; private tutor 1918-27;  Senior Mistress,  Crofton Grange School, Orpington 1927;   Holford Housemistress from 1929; Vice-Principal from 1938; helped move the school to Bowood and Corsham Court at start of WW2; author of  "Weston Birt, A short account of the Manor and the School" published 1956;  hon. mem.

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The Association News 1973 included news of the following deaths

    Miss (Rhoda) Joyce WACE, Geography teacher 1928-1934 (1972)

    Jane HYDE-THOMSON (Colles, S9, 27 Nov. 1972)

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Died 1971

        Sandra Elizabeth Kempster (b. 4 Sep 1942), sec 30, died in late 1971.  She was a member of Dorchester. 

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Died 1960

        Canon Howard (Rev. Robert W Howard, b. 16 September 1887), who was Rector of Westonbirt with Lasborough  and Chaplain to Westonbirt School from 1955, died unexpectedly on 23 November 1960.  Before coming to Westonbirt, he had been Master of St Peter's Hall, Oxford (which became St Peter's College in 1961),1945-1955.   A portrait is here.

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Died 1950

         Dr Richard Ernest SEDGWICK (b. 1875, d.1950), GP, in practice with Dr Braybrooke

         Mrs HOUISON CRAUFURD (Eleanor Louisa Dalrymple-Hay, marr 27 Aug 1903), died 15 Dec 1950, Headmistress 1928-1931 at Westonbirt, then Principal 1932-1950 of Downham School, Essex. Declined an invitation to become a Vice-President of the Old Girls Club.

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Died 1943

        Honor Salmon (née Pitman) was in Beaufort, 1929-30.  A qualified pilot and  First Officer in the Air Transport Auxiliary, having previously been in the Women's Transport Service (F.A.N.Y.), she  died in an aeroplane accident, aged 30, on 19 April 1943.   She had married in 1941.  Her name is on the War Memorial in the churchyard of St Peters Church, Dyrham, as are those of her brothers Captain Peter Pitman Butler of the Royal Armoured Corps, 7th Queen's Own Hussars, who died aged 29 on 17 July 1940, and Captain John Pitman of the Royal Armoured Corps, 3rd King's Own Hussars, who died aged 36 on 1 October 1943.

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Died 1942

         Bridget Hill was in Dorchester, 1929-30. Having qualified as a pilot, she joined the Air Transport Auxiliary (responsible for moving aircraft around, particularly from factory to aerodrome).  Third Officer Bridget Grace Marian Ledger Hill of the Air Transport Auxiliary died in an aeroplane accident aged 27 on 15 March 1942. Her parents lived in Upper Woodford.

        Barbara Blakiston Houston, known as Patsy, was in Beaufort, 1930-4. She joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force at the start of the War.   Section Officer Barbara Kathleen Blakiston-Houston of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force died in an air accident in Northern Ireland, aged 24 on 16 March 1942. Her parents lived in Killyleagh, County Down.

          Grizel Wolfe Murray (née Boyle) was in House, 1928-30. She was a member of the Voluntary Aid Detachment.   She died aged 29 after a few days in the lifeboat to which she had been transferred when the S.S. "Laconia", the troopship in which she was returning from nursing service abroad, was torpedoed on 12 September 1942.  There were initially about 60 occupants in the lifeboat; only 8 survived.  The only other nurse on board (Doris M Hawkins) wrote a book about it, "Atlantic Torpedo: The record of 27 days in an open boat, following a U-boat Sinking".   Grizel's parents lived in Fairlie, Ayrshire.  She had married in 1935 and had three sons.

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Died 1941

         Estelle Tidman was in Gloucester, 1928-31. She was a driver in the London Auxiliary Ambulance Service, and died aged 26 on 11 January 1941 at Green Park Station, Piccadilly, during a bombing raid on London.  Her parents lived in Cheltenham.   She is also remembered at Ryde School with Upper Chine.

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 For recent deaths, see here

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Westonbirt Association index 

last amended  5 January 2024