OBITUARIES
Marsyl Knott (Stothard 1943-61)
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We know that you will all be very sorry to hear that our President, former Chairman and long serving Committee member, Marsyl Knott (Stothard) passed away in hospital on 6th January 2020. She was 81 years old.
Marsyl was born in Colchester and spent her childhood at 32 Wavell Avenue, a home that she was to return to in 1979 with her husband, Roderic, and where she lived for the rest of her life.
She started in the ‘Pre’ at Grey Friars at the age of 5 and leaving when she was 18 to train as a
teacher, at college in Derby. Completing her course, she returned to Essex and worked at St Luke’s Primary School in Tiptree where she met her future husband. In 1966 she moved to Prettygate School and in 1970 married Roderic. Their daughter, Jessica, was born in 1973. Later, Marsyl taught for a further 20 years at Dedham Church of England School. She was an extremely good teacher who made learning fun and apparently she also taught circus skills!
Why am I not surprised?
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Marsyl had a great love of both music and drama. She joined Colchester’s Junior Rep and then Colchester Theatre Group, the Harcourt Players, the Alresford Players and the Stour Valley Players. She was willing to turn her hand to more or less anything, from acting to stage management, directing and piano playing. She was a very accomplished pianist. She also taught drama to children on Saturday mornings, including my son. Marsyl was an enthusiastic member of the Shrub End Townswomen’s Guild taking part in both their Drama Group and their Choir. My mother was also a member and I used to be invited to their Christmas parties. Every year, by popular request, Marsyl and Margaret Thompson, also a teacher, would sing Rossini’s Duet for Two Cats. They were hysterically funny and their performance was far better than any professional rendition I have ever heard, even the version played at her funeral!
In the 1980s, Marsyl decided to join the Open University graduating in 1990 at Brighton having made some lifelong friends.
After retiring from teaching and beating breast cancer, Marsyl launched herself into other activities. She and Roderic travelled extensively throughout Europe. She involved herself in all sorts of community activities (including street parties and pancake races) and she was a member of Colchester Cellar Club for she and Roderic really appreciated fine wines. She also thoroughly enjoyed crafts, including origami, and her friends always looked forward to her wonderful handmade Christmas cards.
Then suddenly, in 2014, Marsyl suffered a severe stroke, which seriously affected the right side of her body. She could no longer stand, nor could she communicate easily. For someone as gregarious, active, caring, and fun loving as Marsyl, this must have seemed like the end of the world but she refused to be miserable. She taught herself to do cross stitch with her left hand. She tackled jigsaws and, much to our pleasure, she still came to a number of OGA events. She missed the AGM we held at Grey Friars just before it reopened as a hotel, when we were offered guided tours of the building, but she was able to join a subsequent tour given after one of our coffee mornings there. She was thrilled to bits! She came to garden parties at Liz White’s home and joined us for lunch at the Colchester Institute. She was determined to do as much as she could. She was a very brave woman.
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We will miss her very much indeed. Her mischievous, offbeat sense of humour, her kindness and generosity, her pragmatism and ability to take everything in her stride, however shocking, were legendary. Her zest for life was inspirational.
Marsyl’s funeral, attended by many Old Girls, was followed by a reception at Grey Friars, a place that was always very dear to her.
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Jo Edwards (Mabbitt 1960-67)
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