Teacher Judith earned respect of prisoners and the whole community

Judith Hardie of Ellon, a teacher who won the respect of Peterhead prisoners, has died aged 72.

She was born into a wellrespected Ellon family and she remained rooted in the community all her life.

Judith taught business studies at Peterhead Academy and Aberdeen College as well as making a lasting impression at Peterhead Prison.

She called the inmates her boys and they queued up to join her computer studies classes, of which she was a pioneer in Scottish prisons.

Each morning she set her students the task of completing The Press and Journal crossword, and then she would join them in the smoking room.

Even after retirement, former prisoners, including lifers, remembered her with great respect.

She was born in 1951 to William (Bill) and Alexandra (Bunty) Hardie and had two sisters, Meg and Dot. Judith was educated at Ellon Primary and Ellon Academy and in 1974 graduated from the Robert Gordon Institute of Technology with a degree in business studies.

Her first post was at Peterhead Academy before she moved to lecture at Aberdeen College.

In her free time Judith played a big part in the life of Ellon. She had been a member of Ellon Rifle Club, Badminton Club and of the darts team at New Inn.

Judith was also known for her love of dogs and would join the lady walkers in The Widdies at Ellon.

As one friend put it: “Every home in Ellon had an open door for Judith.

“One fellow dog walker told me ‘The joy of meeting Judith up The Widdies is that you always come back a bit wiser, such was her knowledge and joy in sharing’.

“She had many qualities; humour, warmth and forthrightness, at times outrageously so.”

Forthright Judith Hardie made a big impression.