Sadness at death of much-loved ex-teacher aged 94

Tributes to ‘delightful and traditional’ teacher

Tributes are being paid across the borough to a much-loved former teacher who taught in the town between the 1960s and 1980s.

Margaret Samuel, who initially taught at Great Chart Primary School and latterly Bybrook County Primary Infants and Junior sites in Kennington, passed away at Saltwood Care Centre in Hythe aged 94.

Until recently, Margaret had remained sharp and was visited by friends and ex-pupils alike. She had recently suffered a stroke prior to her death.

Born Kathleen Margaret Douthwaitein 1925 in West Yorkshire, she studied her profession at Oxford before marrying her beloved Billericay born husband Donald Urban Merrick Samuel in 1954.

Both Margaret and Donald taught alongside each other right from their first Ashford postings – she as teacher, and he as headmaster of Great Chart Primary School.

By 1963, with Margaret faithfully by his side, Donald had become headmaster of the new Ashford Kennington South(JMI – Junior Mixed and Infants School)latterly shortened to Bybrook County Infants School in Bybrook Road, Kennington, and by 1970 together they moved across the school field to a new purpose built Junior School in Belmont Road, which was replaced a few years ago and is now known as Phoenix Community School.

Initially, the husband and wife team rented a house in Rylands Road, Kennington, while a new bungalow was being built in Mersham which became their home for over 40 years.

Upon Donald’s retirement from mainstream teaching in the late 1980s, he continued to provide home tuition, while Margaret had retired from the profession.

Sadly in 2012, Margaret was widowed following the untimely death of Donald aged 86 after battling Parkinson’s disease.

The couple had been inseparable until such time.

Ashford historian Steve Salter said: “As a former pupil of Bybrook Junior School, I join the tributes to Margaret by saying that she was one of the most delightful ladies that you will ever meet.

“She was an educated lady with special and traditional values.”

Margaret’s funeral service will be held at 12.40pm on Tuesday (March 5) at Charing Crematorium followed by a reception celebrating Margaret’s life.

Margaret Samuel in the early 1970s