It is with great regret that we inform you that Mrs Bettine Snell passed away at the amazing age of 101 on 31st January 2021. Born in 1920, she grew up in Swansea and later lived in Switzerland, before moving to Suffolk after the outbreak of WW2 to milk cows. There she met her husband, Norman, renowned for his progressive agricultural outlook and practices. From 1946, they lived in the parish of Kingham, where they raised their family and were instrumental in the life of Kingham Hill School.
Her career at Kingham stretched from 1946 to 1982, in which time she became a greatly beloved member of the school. Involved in both the teaching aspects and its vibrant extra-curricular life, such as Farm Club, she is remembered as a humble and caring lady with strong convictions, who inspired manifold students with her passion, her unceasing patience and her deep kindnesses to them.
Many of her former pupils remember her avid interest in the French language and conviction of its value both in school and for life beyond Kingham – a “breath of cultural air on the Hill” - as she introduced them enthusiastically to French literature and took them to external events and talks to supplement their appreciation of the language. She also financially supported some students behind the scenes, enabling them to experience opportunities that otherwise they would have been unable to afford, such as travelling to Paris to develop their linguistic skills - this is just another example of her ongoing dedication to the edification of her students.
In the face of reluctant élèves, she went above and beyond to inspire them with the same passion for French as she possessed, and also tirelessly devoted much of her time to assisting struggling pupils to improve their grasp of the language. All remember her as one of their favourite and most patient teachers, and one pupil recounts that her inspiration as his French teacher had profound formative effect on the path his life would follow: “Little did I know in the 1960s that the encouragement she gave in learning a language would one day lead me to be a dual language linguist with the RAF for 22 years”.
Moreover, Bettine was very active within the local community. One student of hers remembers how he and a couple others used to go down to the village with her and dig gardens for the elderly. He fondly recalls that this was a great opportunity to get to know her better. Bettine’s friendly and caring nature was such that, long into her retirement years, many past students continued to visit her and catch up over tea and biscuits at her nearby Kingham home, ‘The Orchard’.
It was an amazing privilege for some of our pupils to visit her last year on her 100th birthday, with her daughter, Rosemary, and son, Rupert. We were able to share written messages from old boys with her, which brought her such joy. She was an amazing influence who “left an indelible mark on lots of people's hearts” and will be very much missed by all whose lives she touched.