Remembering ‘inspirational’ town teacher

Margaret Kingdon, 73, who used to teach at the former Connaught Road School, died on Tuesday, December 19, just a day before her 74th birthday, after she slipped into a coma.

On Thursday (December 22) close friend Shirley Dunning, 69, told the Gazette that Margaret, of Mill Lane, Toddington, was an “inspiration” to all who met her.

She said: “Everybody in the town knew Margaret. She was a very likeable and loveable person.

“She was so brave and determined and would never let anything beat her.

“She could always bring the best out in people and could always make you smile.

“She will be greatly missed by all those who knew her, she touched so many people’s lives, in a positive way.”

Margaret moved to the area with her mother and two brothers, during the Second World War, when she was three, and began teaching in the 1960s.

She dedicated herself to helping children with learning difficulties and played a leading role in setting up one of the country’s first classroom assistant positions.

“She made a huge contribution to society,” said Shirley. “When Margaret arrived at Connaught it soon became obvious that she had a really good empathy with children.

“In those days, they didn’t have teaching assistants. She was the first teacher, that I know of, who started to use them. She was able to concentrate on the children, because of this.

“She worked tirelessly to bring out children who were shy, unsociable or school phobic. She would very often go the extra mile to help coax them out of their shell.”

Despite being born with a debilitating form of congenital rickets, which affected her mobility, Margaret was a prolific sportswoman.

In her youth she played cricket for West Sussex, stoolball for East Preston and was a member of Littlehampton Croquet Club for the past 15 years.

She also had her own allotment at Lyminster, where she grew and sold vegetables, to raise money for St Barnabas House Hospice, in Worthing, where she died.

Her funeral is due to take place at 1pm tomorrow (Friday, December 30), at the Broadwater Chapel, in Broadwater Road, Worthing, and will be led by her brother, David.

The family asks anyone attending to make a donation to St Barnabas in lieu of flowers