Mary Elizabeth Powell 1926 – 2022

Mary Elizabeth Powell  15 June 1926 — 26 February 2022

Mary’s parents were Hilda and Harri, and she was born in Briton Street, Leicester.  At the age of seven, she moved to Kislingbury near Northampton and subsequently the twenty miles to Irthlingborough, where her father became Secretary of the shoe manufacturers, John Shortland Ltd.

Her education took place at Wellingborough School for Girls after which she became a student for three years at Leicester Domestic Science College. Once qualified, her first teaching post was at Glass Street Girls School, Stoke on Trent, for six years to 1953.

Her first appointment in Leicester was in 1954 when she taught domestic science at Crown Hills Secondary Modern School. This was followed by teaching assignments at Sir Jonathan North and  Rushey Mead. In whichever school she taught, she was always dedicated, caring and very well organised. Her final post was at Spencefield Secondary Modern School where she was appointed as Head of the Domestic Science Department and, subsequently, as Assistant Headteacher.

After her father died, she and her mother moved to Spencefield Lane where she lived for many years. Her family life was interwoven with cousin Jean and her husband Ted and this closeness continued with their sons, Andrew and Nick. She shared a lot of time with them and their families when they travelled to Evington from either Durham or Milton Keynes .

Auntie Mary, as she was known by her many friends and relatives, was very interested in family history to the extent that she discovered some of her Canadian relatives in Vancouver. Since then, every Sunday evening included a lengthy Skype conversation.

As part of her research, she not only discovered her father’s WW1 diary, but also produced a short book covering the variety of events that he experienced.

After retirement, she had piano lessons from Margaret Moss and was so successful that she too became a piano teacher, having reached Grade 8. Knowing Mary, and as might be expected, many of her pupils went on to achieve the highest of grades.

From her early teaching years to her retirement and beyond, Mary made many friends and spent time visiting them in different parts of the country, including Devon, Staffordshire, and Norfolk. Whilst there, she took lots of photographs and produced many paintings. Her interest and ability in art led to membership of the Crown Hills Art Society and Art in the Park. She contributed to a collective painting that hangs in the Parish Centre at Saint Denys church, Evington.

Her high-tech skills were legendary and, as recently as 2020 she designed, published, and sold a calendar of her pen and ink sketches of local scenes in Evington.

In addition to all her various activities, her public spiritedness was shown in voluntary work at the Leicester Museum for many years, plus the role of Governor of Scraptoft Valley Primary School, where one of her previous students became Head Teacher.

Her final twenty-one years were spent at Birkdale Court on Evington Lane, where for over five years, she was a Director of Evington Lane Management Co Ltd. 

Mary had so many friends, relatives, and former pupils in Evington, in this country and overseas. She was unique and she will be sadly missed.

Nick and Andy Freer, relatives. Ann Dixon, close friend. Mike Howitt, neighbour.