Patricia (Pat) Spiller was born in August 1930. Pat taught in the Junior School between 1970 and 1990.

Her son, Jon Spiller (OS 1979) recalls that “she absolutely loved teaching at the school”, adding that “over the years, we decided as a family that mum joined SGS to escape the madness of running the large Spiller household.”

Her affinity with children and warm nature meant that Pat rose to be the Deputy Head of the Junior School over a period of 20 years. Pat worked alongside Richard Reeman – the headmaster at the time and pictured above – who was a great mentor to her. The Reeman family remained friends for the rest of her life.

Upon her retirement from teaching in 1990, there was a touching dedication in The Stopfordian to her talents.

Jon said: “We hope that there may be some Old Stops reading who can remember her fondly, as she almost certainly would have remembered them.”

Pat passed away surrounded by her family on 29 September 2024, aged 94. She is survived by four children, eight grandchildren, and three great grandchildren.