Obituaries
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Elizabeth Ward
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It is sad to report that Elizabeth Ward, respected former Headteacher of CCHS, died at Colchester General Hospital, in July, after a battle with a rare form of abdominal cancer. She joined CCHS as deputy head, and became head, in 1998, a position she held until she retired, in 2010. Even after leaving the school, she still continued in education, and became a governor at Ramsey Academy, in Halstead.
She was the youngest of eight children and wanted to follow her mother into a nursing career, but she advised against it. Her first teaching job was at a secondary modern school, in Watford, where she taught English for ten years, before moving to a comprehensive school. near Chelmsford. Later she moved to Coplestone School, in Ipswich, and, four years later. came to CCHS. Her husband, Alan, said that it was never an ambition to be a headteacher, but the High School had become her main interest, insisting on doing classroom teaching as well as the heavy task of administration.
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The school became one of the top in the country but Elizabeth thought that exam results were not all-important, stressing that there was more to education, and supporting the girls in their choices. She made many important changes and developments
in her time at CCHS, including a new science building and a sixth form study centre. Everything was for the good of the girls. She was also keen to develop links between the school and the community.
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Outside education, she was learning to play the piano, and enjoyed gardening and photography, and joined Colchester Rotary Club. Alan Whelan (Grey Friars) said that it was a great joy being her next door colleague for many years. He said “We often travelled together to headteacher meetings and shared stories of our common Irish Catholic heritage. She played a major part in establishing the very successful Colchester Teacher Training Consortium. Her contribution to Lexden Catholic Parish, as Chairperson of its Pastoral Council, means that we had in common the development of many young Catholic students from the parish in which we worked. The world has lost a most special soul. Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. Amen.”
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See also News from the School 3.
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