BIRTHS, DEATHS & MARRIAGES

For full obituaries, please visit the members’ bulletin section on The Alumnae website. For inclusion in further editions, please contact Emma MacKenzie: alumnae@bedfordgirlsschool.co.uk

Births & Marriages Bedford High School

Wendy Balzan (née Roberts, 1991) passed away aged 91 in December 2021 in Fitchburg, Wisconsin.

Congratulations to Wendy and her husband Tony who celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in August 2022, with a celebratory family trip to America.

Pam joined BHS as a boarder in 1943. She loved school and kept in touch with her Bedford friends. Pam went to The London School of Occupational Therapy, working as an occupational therapist in England and then in Middleton, USA, where she lived in the later years of her life.

Pam was an accomplished artist; she enjoyed drawing and painting animals and country scenes.

Pam just made people smile, she made instant friends with everyone. She is survived by her three children, seven grandchildren and seven greatgrandchildren.

Pauline Burgess (former Junior School teacher, 1995-2009)

Catherine Victoria ‘Vicky’ Frossell (née Boutwood, 1957)

Vicky passed away in October 2022, aged 83. She was the beloved wife of the late Dennis and loving mum to James, Tom, Charlotte and Emily, as well as grandmother and friend to many.

Claire Harvey (née Aylett, 1954)

Claire passed away in January 2022, aged 86. She was the beloved wife of Philip and mother of Ian, Neal, Colin and Lee.

Florence Johnson (née Collier, 1954)

Danielle Burton (née Hinckley, 2007)

Congratulations to Danielle and her husband, James, who welcomed Freddie on 3rd December 2021.

Hannah Harvey (née Edwards, 2011)

Congratulations to Hannah and her husband Iain, who welcomed their daughter, Evelyn, on 28th December 2022.

Eleanor Reeds (2007)

Congratulations to Eleanor, whose son, Finn Reeds Jacobs, was born on 19th November 2021.

Charlotte Tovey (née McClean, 2009)

Congratulations to Charlotte and her husband Matt who welcomed their first baby, Leo Charles on 23rd June 2022.

Deaths Bedford High School

Susan Beardsworth (née Mace, formerly Miller, BHS 1954)

Sue sadly passed away in April 2023. She lived with her husband, Roger, in New Zealand. Sue enjoyed watercolour painting, patchwork and quilting.

Pamela (Pam) Phillips (née Bunker, 1948)

Born in 1930, the daughter of Victor and Doris Bunker in Bow Brickhill. She

Pauline sadly away in December 2022 after a short illness.

Sheila Cubitt (former member of staff 1955 – 1976)

Sheila passed away in July 2022, aged 92. Sheila grew up in Norwich, and along with her older sister, Heather, was educated at Norwich High School for Girls before attending Roehampton Teacher Training College. She joined the BHS Junior School in 1955. Always popular, Sheila really enjoyed art and her form room was a riot of colour. Her History lessons were often brought to life with creative friezes she had made.

Sheila later joined The Perse School for Girls, along her sister, Heather, who was Head of History in the Senior School.

Barbara Dalton (née Elphick, BHS 1946)

Barbara died in March 2022 aged 94. Barbara married Lieutenant Colonel Roy Dalton and during his career lived in many different countries before living in London. The couple had three children Michael, Mark and Catherine. Barbara returned to the BHS for a period in the 1980s as a teacher of Classics.

Sheila Felce (1944)

Sheila passed away in July 2021. Sheila loved animals and her garden. She was well-known in the local community for running her own chiropody practice, working in the profession for 70 years.

Florence died in October 2022, aged 87. Sister of Patricia Farquhar (BHS 1960). She was proud of her school and remembered the dramatic productions by members of the BHS staff in the early 1950s, particularly Alice in Wonderland.

Nesta Kathleen Jones (former member of staff 1943-1961)

Nesta passed away in December 2021, aged 104. Nesta began her schooling as a boarder at Cheltenham Ladies’ College, before going on to read Classics at Girton College, Cambridge.

Nesta taught Classics at BHS from 19431961, and was then Headmistress of The Kingsley School, Royal Leamington Spa from 1961-1977.

Nesta will be remembered as a beloved aunt and as an inspirational Latin teacher by her former students.

Clifton Ibbett, OBE

Clifton sadly died in May 2021. Clifton, a former Bedford School student (1953), ran the Bedfordia Group.

Clifton was instrumental in setting up and overseeing The Foundation in 2007, in memory of his daughters Anita (1982) and Julia (1984), with the aim of generating a provision of funds for bursaries for Sixth Form students and capital projects.

Clifton also established the Road Victims Trust, the Bedfordshire Daycare Hospice and care home, Anjulita Court.

Jill Knox (née Mackness, 1958)

Died in May 2022, aged 82. Loved wife of Robert (Bob), sister of the late Robin, mother of Caroline, Patrick and Callum, and grandmother to Abby, Harry, Bella, Silas, Cameron, Athis and Findlay.

Liz Rawlinson (former member of staff c. 1975-1984)

Liz passed away in July 2021. Liz was always very proud of the fact that she taught three subjects and had to be replaced by a number of different teachers (Geography, Social Biology and Economics). She had particularly fond memories of working under Mrs Galley in the Geography Department.

Megan Traini (née Roberts,1946)

Megan died in January 2022, at the age of 93. Megan is survived by her older sister, Gene (BHS, 1944) and younger brother, John (BS, 1950), as well as three children, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. At school Megan loved hockey. She studied Medicine at University of Liverpool, where she met her husband, Douglas. They lived in Australia and Uganda before returning to the UK in 1966 when Douglas was offered a position at Dundee Dental Hospital. Megan worked the Medical Sciences Institute at Dundee University, eventually becoming a lecturer in Anatomy.

Ruth Weaver (née Prosser, 1982)

Ruth sadly died in September 2022. Ruth was married with two children and lived in Tunbridge Wells.

Nicola Young (née Treby, 1984)

Nicola died in October 2020 after a brave fight with cancer. After school she trained at Cambridge Marlborough College and worked as Legal Secretary/ PA. She leaves her husband Ben and a family of four. Nicky kept in touch over the years with Katy Zwetsloot, Sara Jane Crozier and Clare McCracken. Nicky was a wonderful, strong and caring human, who is greatly loved.

Births & Marriages Dame Alice Harpur School

Toni Lovett (née King, DAHS 2004 and Head of Food & Nutrition at BGS)

Congratulations to Toni, her husband and big sister Esmé on the arrival of Connie on 26th March 2022.

Deaths Dame Alice Harpur School

Moira Margaret Bates (previously Albone, née Richardson, 1954)

Moira passed away in October 2021, aged 85. Moira was awarded an 11+ scholarship to DAHS in 1947. Moira kindly left BGS a generous legacy to be used within the Bursary Fund. Moira’s legacy will enable one student to receive a full bursary from Years 7-Upper Sixth.

Moira qualified as a teacher from the University of Leeds. She taught in the Balby area of Doncaster. She married George Bates and they relocated to Little Kimble, near Aylesbury. Moira continued teaching until retirement.

Jenny Clark (Former member of staff BHS 1967-1974 and 1978-1998)

Jenny died in August 2022. Jenny joined BHS, teaching in the Junior School (1967-1971) and then as the Boarding House Mistress at Westlands in 1971 - 1974. She joined DAHS in 1978 as the Boarding House Mistress, later teaching Year 3 from 1981. A kind and popular member of staff Jenny retired in 1998.

Phyllis Dickens (née Uff, 1950)

Phyllis died in January 2021. Phyllis visited Bedford with her daughter, Caroline, a few years ago, where she enjoyed walking along the river bank to look at her old home in Denmark Street and the School.

Chief Otutuola Modupe Majekodunmi (1954) sheltered unit and served as pastoral leader at her Methodist church.

Known by her school friends as Modupe, she enjoyed meeting up with them every September at the DAHSA reunion. She was very fond of her school days in Bedford. Modupe sadly passed away on Boxing Day 2021, when visiting family in Lagos.

Nicola Maughan (1982)

Nicola passed away in May 2022 following a long illness.

Dr Angela Robinson (née Jeffs, 1961)

Angela died in December 2021. Angela trained as a Doctor at St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, before training as a Haematologist. She became Medical Director of the National Blood Authority, pioneering treatment for Leukaemia. She was one of the first DAHS students to qualify in Medicine.

Claire Sage (née Cantwell, 1991)

Claire passed away in September 2021, after a period of declining health. Through these difficult times, her courage and determination were incredible.

At school, Claire excelled and was a very talented sportswoman. Claire was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis and received a life-saving liver transplant at Addenbrookes Hospital, in 1992.

For the next 29 years, Claire lived an amazing life, touching so many with her caring, giving nature and wonderful smile. Her husband Craig, parents Joan and Kevin, sisters Michelle (DAHS 1994) and Phili and their families will always be inspired by her.

Judith (Judy) Stimson (née Beal, 1953)

Judy died in March 2021 aged 86. Her husband, St John Stimson, passed away in May 2022. Both will be lovingly remembered by their children and grandchildren.

Judy was a remarkable woman who dedicated herself to the care of others. She co-curated the Museum of the Home in Pembroke and served as a town councillor. In 2012, Judy was awarded a certificate of commendation by Pembroke Town Council for her fundraising work.

Ayleen Thomas (née Bull, 1957 and former History teacher at DAHS 1982-1999)

Ayleen died in July 2022. Ayleen was a friend of fellow DAHS teacher, Wendy Walters.

Sue Sanders (was Cluley née Mortimer, 1974)

Congratulations to Sue, who married Dennis, in Grenada on Friday 20th May 2022.

Modupe shuttled between the UK and Nigeria, she was an experienced administrator and she worked at the National Bank of Nigeria in London for many years. At the age of 72, she enrolled on a Masters degree in Business Management, drawing on her volunteering experience with Community Action Southwark to use as part of her dissertation. She relished community work: she had previously been Vice Chair of her Tenants and Residents Association, worked with the homeless in Westminster, supported a

Births & Marriages

Bedford Girls’ School

Elin Davis (2015)

Congratulations to Elin who married Tom Short on 9th April 2022.