Death of author and lecturer Vivien Noakes - Former PM Margaret Thatcher joins tributes to 'Wonderful' Vivien
Published: 22 April 2011
by JOSH LOEB
AUTHOR and lecturer Vivien Noakes, who has died after suffering a stroke, aged 74, was known in scholarly circles for her academically rigorous books on Edward Lear.
But she was also a governor at Quintin Kynaston (QK) school in St John’s Wood, the area of Westminster where she lived for many years with her husband, the portrait painter Michael Noakes.
Born on February 16 1937, Ms Noakes was educated at Dunottar School for Girls in Reigate and subsequently trained as a nurse before becoming a lecturer at universities including Harvard and Oxford.
She was remembered by fellow academic Dr Jean Moorcroft Wilson as the “diligent” editor of a volume of work by war poet Isaac Rosenberg.
Church Street ward councillor Barbara Grahame said Ms Noakes’ credentials meant she was considered “a real plus” as a member of the board of governors at QK, which she was drawn to because of her admiration for the school’s headteacher, Jo Shuter.
Mr Noakes’ work meant that his wife became acquainted with many high-profile figures, some of whom have paid tribute to her.
Margaret Thatcher, whose portrait Mr Noakes painted, remembered her “wonderful hospitality”, and cartoonist Ronald Searle was another who wrote to Mr Noakes after the funeral last month.
Mr Noakes said he and Vivien enjoyed inviting public figures – some of them of divergent political views – to lunches a their home in Hamilton Terrace. Among their guests were Mrs Thatcher, Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor and Field Marshal Lord Bramall.
He added: “They were marvellous fun, those conversations and that mix of so many people from all disciplines. The guests were certainly not all Conservatives.”
Of her involvement with QK, he said: “I think Vivien greatly admired the headmistress and what was being achieved there and simply wanted to put back into the system what she could.”
Ms Noakes is survived by Michael and her children, Anya, Jonathan and Benedict.
There will be a memorial service on Saturday, May 14 at 2.30pm in St John’s Wood Church, Lord’s Roundabout, NW8.