Maggie

Margaret "Maggie" Ellison — Maggie to everyone who knew her — was born in a small Yorkshire village in the spring of 1946, and she carried that warmth and plainspoken kindness with her for the rest of her life.

For thirty-eight years she taught at St Mary's Primary, where a whole generation of children learned to read, to be curious, and to be kind. "Sit up, chin up, and try," she'd say — and somehow they all did. Long after they'd grown, her former pupils still stopped her in the street to say thank you.

At home she was happiest in the garden, with a crossword on her knee and a cup of tea going cold beside her. She loved a full house — Sunday lunches that ran late into the evening, grandchildren underfoot, and rosemary growing by the back door.

Maggie passed peacefully on the 3rd of November 2024, surrounded by the people she loved. She leaves a family who adored her, a community that remembers her, and a great many people who are kinder for having known her.