A RETIRED Albury teacher, who helped hundreds of struggling students succeed, has been remembered for being ahead of her time.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Lucy Magrath, who emigrated from England and became a mentor to youngsters, particularly those with disabilities and other learning difficulties, died in Albury earlier this month at the age of 92.
Her devotion to teaching was rewarded with an Order of Australia Medal in 1991 for services to education, especially for children with special needs.
A former president of the now defunct Woodstock disability services organisation, Tony Tinlin, told mourners in an eulogy that Mrs Magrath was “instrumental” in helping those who could not flourish in an ordinary classroom environment.
“I was told a story of her helping a boy, who was not coping, identify that he was dyslexic,” Mr Tinlin said.
“That boy became a very famous person.”
Her nephew David Macklin said Mrs Magrath set up special classes at the Albury North Public School after moving to the Border in 1964.
“Over the next 20 years she taught at the North Albury remedial centre, was a foundation member of the Albury branch of the Subnormal Children and Welfare Association (now called the Challenge Foundation), worked at the Kalianna workshop (and was) involved with the Albury-Wodonga branch of Special Learning Difficulties Association,” he said.
“She was well ahead of her time in understanding the need to modify educational approaches for children with disabilities and learning difficulties.”
Mrs Magrath, who had been widowed twice, died on January 10 after a short illness.
She was one of 10 children and grew up in northern England before gaining her teaching qualifications.
After teaching in Germany and England, Mrs Magrath was persuaded by her sister to move to Australia.
She married Bill Magrath in 1958 and they shifted to Albury six years later.
Mr Magrath died in 1984, prompting Mrs Magrath to move to the Riverwood retirement village in West Albury.
In 1991 she received an Albury Council achievement award and three years later she was made a Paul Harris Fellow by the Albury-Hume Rotary Club.
Also in 1994 Mrs Magrath wed Ken Cusworth, who she had described as a “charming widower”.
Their marriage ended with his death in 2008.
Mrs Magrath is survived by nieces, nephews and extended family.