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Dedicated teacher who loved the classroom
ANN Gilhooley, who died on November 5, taught religious education at Parliament Hill School for 27 years.
Born in Cardigan, West Wales, in 1940, the daughter of a grocer, she attended Cardigan County School and went on to Cardiff University.
She met her husband Peter at a Saturday night dance at the London Welsh Club in Gray’s Inn Road, King’s Cross, in 1964. They married two years later.
After bringing up two children, she returned to teaching when they reached school age and became head of the religious education department at Parliament Hill in the 1970s, remaining there until her retirement six years ago.
Fellow teacher Vivian Preston said: “She was a popular and well-liked teacher with students and staff, and her lessons involved lively discussions, from multi-faith debates to the latest ethical problems over health, politics and social matters.
“As the discussions became more lively, Ann’s Welsh accent became stronger.”
She also organised careers information for pupils, and set up Industry Days, which brought companies into the school. She helped hundreds of students fill in university applications.
Ms Preston added: “Ann was a teacher who enjoyed the classroom – she hated meetings – and preferred to be teaching and working with her students.
“She was always a supportive and loyal colleague who I don’t think had more than a couple of weeks off in all the time she taught at Parliament Hill. She was a dedicated teacher.”
A member of the school running club, she would go jogging with colleagues on Hampstead Heath after a hard day in the classroom.
Although she fell ill soon after retiring, she managed to remain active, meeting other retired colleagues at the Café Delancey in Camden Town for lunch and a gossip.
She is survived by husband Peter, son Graham, daughter Karen and five grandchildren.
DAN CARRIER
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