FAREWELLS Former Cavendish head remembered SHIRLEY BACON 1936–2009 CAVENDISH TEACHER 1975–86 HEAD TEACHER 1986–98 By Mary V. Hopkins and Kay Steele SHIRLEY came to Bermuda from the UK in 1961 to work at Gilbert Institute, where she taught Primary 3 and music. She is remembered as capable, conscientious and fun-loving —not above playing practical jokes on her colleagues. She enjoyed Bermuda’s social life and soon met a handsome Frenchman, Jackie Bacon; before long, they were engaged. Shirley was teaching her students about Native Americans and had constructed a large wigwam outside her classroom. One morning, she arrived to find to find her colleagues had labelled it: “Honeymoon Cottage.” Shirley’s parents could not come out for the wedding, so she was “given away” by the school’s headmaster, Gervase Marson. She and Jackie had three children and Shirley continued to teach, gaining a reputation as an excellent teacher and talented musician. Fourteen years later, Shirley joined Saltus Cavendish to teach Primary 1, direct the choir and play the piano for Assembly and concerts. The children loved her, and their parents found her sympathetic to their anxieties. Being a mother herself, she knew how it felt when your child first started school. She made lessons fun, and encouraged children’s achievements. Everything Shirley undertook, however trivial, was done efficiently. When it was her turn to supervise the whole school during playtime, she moved about the field, taking an interest in the children’s games and encouraging them. She soon knew each of the 180 boys (for Saltus was then a boys school) by name—and also which ones should be carefully watched for mischief. One day, she noticed a group of normally very active boys quietly occupied, with their heads together. When they moved to a corner of the lunch shelter, she went to investigate—and just in time. They had seen a television programme about making a batterypowered rocket, and between them had secretly brought all the necessary parts from home. When assembled, however, it didn’t S A LT U S M A G A Z I N E 45 JOHN RALPH HOLLIS PATTERSON, ’54 1936–2011 ALUMNUS John Ralph Hollis Patterson ’54, who died in January 2011, worked at BF&M Insurance for 40 years, working his way up to Chief Accountant and General Secretary. John is survived by his wife of 49 years, Ethel, and sons Brian (’80), Mark (’81) and Doug (’83) and grandchildren Nicholas (SGY1), James (S9) and Matthew, 15 months. John is also survived by his brothers who were also Saltus alumni: Francis (’56), Leslie (’57) and David (’66). work, and deciding the batteries must be flat, they were about to poke wires into an electric socket. Shirley’s prompt intervention probably saved the School from having all its fuses blown, and possibly prevented a child from being electrocuted. When Shirley trained as a teacher in an English college, it had been a two-year course, but over the years teacher-training changed and new teachers were required to have a degree. Shirley decided to upgrade her qualifications, and enrolled as an external student at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ont., which ran a course of evening lectures in Bermuda. It was a demanding effort when she was teaching all day, and still had children at home, but Shirley was determined to do well. When she was awarded her honours degree at Queen’s, the university announced she had the highest marks of any external student—and received a special award. Shirley was the natural choice to become Head of Cavendish when the vacancy arose. Her staff found her a great person to work for. She was always cheerful, and encouraged a can-do attitude at all times. She would always sit down and discuss problems both personal and group, and if possible, work out a consensus solution. The result was all staff pulling in the same direction to great effect. The School was a happy place under her care and guidance, with many laughs in the staff room. Shirley was caring and nurturing but expected hard work and positive attitudes. She ran Cavendish School successfully for 12 years, with plenty of challenges, including massive damage from Hurricane Emily in 1987, and the big transition when girls were admitted in 1991. She finally took retirement and enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and hobbies. She also introduced the joy of music to many children by teaching Kindermusik for the Bermuda School of Music for a while. But Shirley’s chief joy throughout her adult life was her family. Her husband Jackie cared for her throughout her long illness, and she always delighted spending time with her three children, welcoming their spouses to the family, and later seven beloved grandchildren. Shirley will long be remembered with affection by her family, colleagues and friends, by the hundreds of children whose early schooldays she made happy and rewarding, and by their grateful parents.