Sadly we have several obituaries to bring to your notice in this edition of the Newsletter. We send sympathy and the promise of prayers to all the families and friends whose dear ones have died.

MAY THEY REST IN PEACE
We send our sympathy to the following people on the death of a loved one. JOSEPHINE COCKRAM (PUGH ) and JULIE ALDRIDGE, whose husband and step father died last year. Josephine is now living with Julie in Southbourne

JULIETTE (MOORE), DEBBIE AL ASFOOR and FIONA WILTON (de SOUZA) and their families on the death of husband and father David, on 21st December 2002. All Saints Church, Southbourne was packed for the funeral service.

We heard of the death of SYLVIA KING,aged 63, who was a past pupil. We know little about her except that she entertained as a pianist. Our sympathy to her children Catherine and Michael.

JUDITH ROBERTSON, wife of ROSS and mother of Simon and Clare, on 4th of April 2003. The Association sent condolences to Ross, who has very kindly sent us a piece about JUDITH for the newsletter. We are very grateful to him. "Judith Robertson (nee Harding) died peacefully on 4th April 2003. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999 and thought that she had beaten it, but it came back again last year and although she battled valiantly it was too much for her.

During her radiology treatment in December she regularly encountered two other ex-Convent staff - Caroline Pond, and Jo Henwood, who taught until recently at St. Thomas Garnet's School. Judith graduated with a London Maths degree in 1960 and started teaching at the Convent in the September of that year.

She married Ross Robertson in 1962 and resigned in December 1966, before the birth of their son Simon, in February 1967. Simon was an occasional visitor to the school and was a model for an Art class resulting in a painting by Michelle Connors, which still hangs in the family home.

She returned to teaching, which she thoroughly enjoyed, after Simon and 5 their second child Clare had started school, and stayed with it all her working life. Her pupils loved her and she received letters and cards from many of them long after they left school. She was a faithful member of the Anglican Church and, apart from one year, all the schools she taught in were either Anglican or Catholic; she liked this because she thought that it was important for children to be brought up in a Christian ethos.

Her funeral took place at All Saints, Tarrant Keyneston; in the village where she had spent all her married life. The congregation was so large that they overflowed into the churchyard. Judith chose the music, hymns and readings for the service, which was joyful and uplifting, and as the priest and friend who took the service said, "This was Judith's last gift to us all." Ross will be remembered too as a former member of staff at the Convent, where he taught physics.

CARMEN BACHELIER (PETRE) sent the news to CHRISTINE PLACE who e-mailed it to me. On receiving the news of Judith's death via the past pupils' E - Mail link JENNY WALSH (JOHNSON) wrote, "Thank you for passing on the sad news about Judith's death. We were in the first group to do maths A-level both pure and applied and as there were only 8 of us we got very close to our young teacher. I kept in touch with Judith after I left school and always remembered her on our eldest son's birthday as they shared the date. Please pass on our condolences to Ross and the family, if you are able to do so.

Our prayers are with them at this sad time." VANESSA BENNET (LARCOMBE) wrote, "Thank you for the sad news. I remember Judith very well, she taught me maths; a very lovely lady. I remember she came to a reunion quite recently with her husband Ross." On your behalf condolences were sent to GERALDINE NICHOLLS and her son Stephen on the death of husband and father Deryck, on 30th April 2003.

The Requiem Mass was on Friday 9th May at the church of Our Lady Queen of Peace, Southbourne. GERALDINE has been an active and enthusiastic member of the Past Pupils' Association for many years. Several members of the Association attended the Mass and some were able to help afterwards in the Church Hall.

May the souls of these and of all the faithful departed rest in peace and may all those who mourn be comforted.

JEAN WALSH ( HUGHES ), our President and Treasurer/ Secretary thanks all those people who sent "get well" wishes and prayers when she was in hospital earlier this year. The Association sent a card and got her daughter, Angie, to buy some flowers to greet her on her arrival home. Jean is gaining strength daily and is feeling much better.

SHEILA MURRAY ( McFADDEN ) has suffered a slight stroke, however she is now at home again, where she is making a good recovery.

PAMELA HARRISON ( JOLLIFFE ) had an operation for cancer of the colon in early February; she is due to go into hospital soon to have the colostomy reverted. We have kept her in our prayers.

NANCY PLACE ( BREWER ) is fully occupied caring for her husband Geoff, who is seriously ill. We ask you to remember them in your prayers, please.