Jean McPherson, who spent most of her teaching career at The Gordon Schools, Huntly, has died aged 91.
She attended the secondary section as a teenager and later spent 31 years at the primary section as a teacher.
Jean spent many years teaching the primary ones before working with pupils with special needs and, finally, the primary four children.
Generations
By the time she retired, Jean was teaching the grandchildren of former pupils.
Her daughter, Katie Fairweather, said: “Her love of teaching always shone through and she loved meeting and talking to former pupils.”
Jean Leslie McPherson was born at Kinnoir in March, 1930, the youngest of four children of woodcutter William McPherson and his wife Mary.
When she was seven, the family moved to Glass. After her primary years, Jean spent the next six years at The Gordon Schools and had to either walk or cycle the seven miles there and back.
Excellence
She excelled at maths and science and was the only one of her siblings to stay on at school past the age of 14.
Jean finished her schooling during the Second World War and spent her holidays grouse beating and delivering mail for the Post Office on her bicycle.
Teaching was not her first choice of career. She had her heart set on pharmacy or medicine but feared failing and wasting money which was in short supply.
Teacher training
She was guided towards teaching and began training at college in Aberdeen. It was not until after she graduated that she discovered her love for the profession.
After qualifying, Jean’s first post was in Kirkcaldy and a primary one class of more than 50 pupils.
Jean taught in Fife for two years before moving back to Huntly and spending all but six years at the same school. During these six years she had her family: Katie, Patricia and Euan.
Grandchildren
It was a life spent surrounded by children at school and, in her personal life, her grandchildren were her greatest love.
There were seven grandchildren: Scott, Ian, Craig, Lauren, Fay, Rose and John, and two great-grandchildren, Amelia and Cameron.
The day Jean died, October 21, was her great-granddaughter Amelia’s fourth birthday.
Katie said: “She always believed it was the time you spent with people and children that mattered and not how much money you spent. And this was reflected in the time she spent with her grandchildren.”
Clubs
Jean was a fan of crosswords, jigsaws and hillwalking, and was a member of various clubs in Huntly including the field club and the Over 50s club.
Her fitness in later years was a legacy of the amount of walking and cycling she had done in childhood and Jean remained active even at an advanced age.
Katie said: “The family feel lucky to have had her for so long and for her to have shared her stories, experience and wisdom with them. She will be greatly missed and never forgotten.”