Eva Kerby

b. 25 May 1923 d. 29 Jun 1990

Eva was the first child of Theresa and William Kerby. She was born in `Bonsecours', 72 Orford Street, Ipswich, where Theresa and Billy had set up home after their marriage in 1922. Eva's early childhood at home was very happy: she often referred back and thought back to those care-free times. She started her schooling at the Convent of Jesus and Mary, Woodbridge Road, travelling there at first by taxi, but for this main purpose initially, Theresa started driving, and the daily school run was thereafter by car. Eva went right through the school to reach School Certificate in 1940, which she passed with Matriculation Exemption. There was at that time no Sixth Fonn at the school; a year studying at home was followed by entry to Bedford College, London, which at that time was evacuated to Cambridge. She graduated in French and Latin in 1944. Eva then moved to London for a year's Teacher Training: during this time she was kindly given accommodation by Elise and Gabriel Flach.

Her first teaching post was at the Loretto Convent in Llandudno, followed by a short period in Palmer's Green, London. A post at the Northgate Grammar School in Ipswich was her next appointment. This was the girls' side of the school where her father had taught till 1939. Normally a year's residence and teaching experience in France was required for teachers of the French Language. This had not been possible for Eva as all her student time had been during the war. A year in Chateauroux in Central France was arranged (1955-56) after which Eva had a wide variety of teaching experiences, mainly in independent schools, in different parts of the country. Meanwhile a home was always kept for her at `Bonsecours', at first by BiIly and Theresa, and after Theresa's death in 1958, by Dorothy and her husband Ted who now became the householders. When Dorothy became seriously ill, and was unable to cope, Eva moved to a bed-sit in a quiet country village outside Ipswich, where she lived a contented life in retirement, but where she died very suddenly of heart failure in 1990.