Kathryn (Kate) Leonard - a former pupil of Brigg Girls' High School and Sir John Nelthorpe School during the 1970s - has died.
She was a Girl Guide who achieved the coveted Queen's Award.
Helen Kidman and Nick Marshall have sent us this family tribute...
KATHRYN LEONARD 1960-2022
Our dear sister Kathryn (Kate) Leonard, née Marshall died suddenly at her home in Aston, Oxfordshire, on 21st July, 2022.
Kate was the younger daughter of the late Len and Doreen Marshall. She was born at Wrawby in January 1960, attended the village school and then Brigg Girls’ High School from 1971-1978. She sang in the school choir and played the trumpet. A keen canoeist, she recalled building her own canoe during 6th form general studies.
After leaving school, she took an HND Business Studies course at Grimsby Technical College and then worked briefly for Grimsby Borough Council, before taking a post in 1984 with West Oxfordshire District Council, administering rates and council tax collection and dealing with housing benefit. She spent the next 34 years in the finance department at Witney, initially gaining her professional qualifications and then several internal promotions. Latterly, she worked across Oxfordshire, the Cotswolds and into Gloucestershire implementing various legislation changes and designing and delivering modernisation projects. She represented her local government colleagues on their professional body, the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation Thames Valley Association for several years. She retired in 2020 just before the pandemic lockdown.
Quite soon after moving south, Kate got to know Stephen Leonard, who comes from an Oxfordshire family. They married at Wrawby in 1986. Kate and Steve have two children, Rosie, who is now a science teacher and Tom who is an IT specialist. Steve is now a teacher at a boarding school for children with learning difficulties.
Kate was an enthusiastic Girl Guide at Brigg, achieving the Queen’s Guide Award and for most of her adult life she was both a Scout and a Guide leader and involved with other charitable organisations. Rosie and Tom now continue the Scouts' and Guides' family tradition.
Kate’s whole family has had a long-term commitment to providing preliminary training and socialisation of hearing dogs and guide dogs.
In their village for several years, they took a large part in planning and running the annual summer fete. On fete-day, this included rather a lot of tent-pitching.
Kate and Steve were very fond of the Channel Islands and they camped on Sark several times.
In recent years, they often spent Christmas or New Year in the Canaries. They had long planned a trip to the Canadian Rockies, but this had been delayed by the pandemic until next summer. Sadly, too late.
Kate will be greatly missed by family and friends.
PICTURED: The former Brigg Girls' High School which became part of Sir John Nelthorpe School in 1976. Further information about the Queen's Guide Award can be read here...
