Mary Ireland Obituary, Bancroft’s School Headteacher Passed Away – Sadly, on January 19 at St. Wilfrid’s Hospice in Eastbourne, Mary Ireland, who had been receiving treatment for her metastatic tumors for the previous fifteen months, passed away. Mary held the positions of Ardingly Housemistress, Deputy Head at Christ’s Hospital, and Headteacher at Bancroft’s School in addition to her various executive positions. She was both the proud mother of Fergus and the proud grandmother of Malcolm.
Through her work in these positions, Mary was able to make a significant positive difference in the lives of numerous young people. In addition to her duties as Warden of the Drapers Company, she served as Chair of Governors at the Maylands Primary School, where her children attended. She may be out and about tonight scouting the promised land, to paraphrase a line from one of her favorite songs, even though a screen door may have slammed. Mary provided me with a great deal of support, and the decisions she made had a significant impact on the course my life would take in the future.
I send you all my deepest condolences. She had a significant influence on the lives of a significant number of individuals. I will always cherish the time I got to spend at your house with Mary and the two of you before the lockdown. I’m thinking of you, Ferg, Ruth, and the little Mally boy right now, and I’m praying for all of you. I’m thinking of you as well. Mrs. Ireland had a significant influence on my time in school, and I am and always will be incredibly grateful for all the guidance and empathy she provided me with both during those years and after.
She had such a profound influence on the lives of so many people, and I know she would be overjoyed to learn of the successes of each and every one of her former students and students at the school where she worked. My sincere condolences are extended to each and every member of her family and friends during this trying time.