A FORMER teacher and union leader has been remembered in the town where she made her home and taught for more than 30 years.

Mary Compton was the national president of the National Union of Teachers in 2004/05 and had been a Powys official of the union for many years. She taught German for more than 30 years at John Beddoes School, Presteigne after moving to the area in the 1970s.

A funeral service to celebrate the life of the married mother of four daughters, who lived at Norton, was held at St Andrew’s Church, Presteigne on Monday, February 12.

The church was filled with family, friends, former colleagues and students and national representatives of the NUT.

She died, aged 67 on January 25, following a battle with bowel cancer – which she had beaten once more than 10 years ago.

Her friend and former colleague Gwyn Evans said Mary loved the area and was passionate about education.

Even after retirement she continued to campaign to support schools and formed the campaign group PACE, Powys Against Cuts in Education and continued to lobby for more funding for schools and public services.

“Mary was always passionate about public services and she worked in the NHS transplant service before she came to Powys, from Bristol,” said Mr Evans.

“She worked in Newtown for 12 months and then a job came up at John Beddoes.

“It was the old Presteigne Grammar School and you wouldn’t have thought they were the right mix but they were. She was a really well thought of teacher and very child centred, she wanted children’s voices to be heard. Every school has a school council these days but Mary was in the forefront of that.

“When it came to school exchanges it wasn’t just with West Germany but she looked to the former East Germany as well, something different to broaden pupils’ experiences.”

Mr Evans, who was head of English at the school, said: “Mary and I got on famously and sat together in the staff room and I saw her work with the NUT.

“She would travel up and down this huge county of ours, after school, to defend teachers who might be having problems and also wanted to keep schools open, whether it was a high school or a small village school.

“She also had the ability and the confidence to make a damn good speech, when she was national president the national press at the time said her’s was one of the most impressive conferences speeches.”

Mr Evans said Mary had also been a supporter of education, especially for girls, internationally and was the co-editor of essays, The Global Assault on Teaching, Teachers and their Unions, and the blog, Teacher Solidarity.

Mary also staged a play in the run up to Christmas for more than 20 years at Presteigne Memorial Hall.

“Her dramas satirised outside forces and lampooned, with affection, local characters. The people of Presteigne, however, always came out on top, reflecting Mary’s great love and respect for this quirky, individual town – neither in England nor in Wales but in Radnorshire – where she felt so much at home. She loved Powys and Radnorshire.”

David Evans, Wales secretary of the NUT, attended last Friday’s service. He said: “We will quite simply remember Mary as a true advocate who always put the views and thoughts of members of the union first and she strived to make education better for all, both within this country and internationally. She believed in standing up for members’ rights and the rights of pupils and individuals associated with schools. She will be missed by us as a union and by members throughout Powys, Wales and England.”

Mary is survived by her husband Pope, her four daughters, Clarrie, Helen, Blanche and Faith and grand-daughter, Eira.