Former Wade Deacon High School teacher Harriet Ryder has died

Miss Ryder, who died in November aged 95, was a geography teacher for many years at the town’s Wade Deacon High School, and before that at Kingsway Secondary School.

In accordance with her final wishes, her funeral cortege will pass Wade Deacon on its way to Widnes Cemetery.

A funeral service is to be held at noon at Farnworth Methodist Church in Derby Road.

Miss Ryder answered a call in the late 1940s to help meet a teacher shortage after World War II, becoming a trainee teacher at Warrington Road School.

Born in West Bank where she lived for most of her life, Miss Ryder was a familiar figure on her walks around the town, often chatting with former pupils.

Pamela Wright OBE, former Head of Humanities at Wade Deacon High School during the years Miss Ryder was a teacher of Geography there in the 1970s and 1980s, paid tribute to her colleague.

Pamela said: “Harriet was a teacher at Kingsway School until 1974 when she transferred along with many other staff to the new comprehensive Wade Deacon High School. She really felt proud and privileged to be a teacher at Wade Deacon.

“This was long before we had computers in schools or the internet. This was teaching with very few resources. Her classroom at Wade Deacon had a blackboard and fixed teaching desks. The teachers desk was on a raised platform so she could command discipline. Her lessons were always orderly! She became quite well known within Widnes living in the heart of the community.”

Former pupils took to social media to pay their own tributes to Miss Ryder.

Christine McCarthy wrote: “I remember her well. She was a kind lady and taught me all about the world as it was then. So sad to hear of her passing,RIP Miss Ryder.”

Glenys Lenton wrote: “I knew her from Kingsway, a lovely lady and a fantastic teacher. Miss Ryder always encouraged neat handwriting in our exercise books.”

The funeral arrangements are being made by Moar and Butler, Widnes.