Dorothy Stevens (Miss Capon) (1922 – 2012)
It is with great sadness that we learned of the sudden death of Dorothy Stevens (Miss Capon) on 16 October 2012. She came to the school in 1947 to teach Physical Education, and left in 1972 when she married Hal Stevens, the popular ex-headmaster of Bungay Area School (now Bungay Middle School), where she taught before she came to the High School.
Dorothy was born in Lowestoft and went to Lowestoft Secondary School, where she excelled at games, especially hockey and tennis. She was in the school hockey team and in the Suffolk Ladies hockey team. She and her three sisters and her brother spent many happy hours on Lowestoft North Beach. Dorothy became a very good swimmer and came second in a race in Lowestoft harbour.
From school, Dorothy went to Keswick Training College near Norwich. It was during the Second World War and the college was bombed. Dorothy lost everything and went to her father in tears. She wasn't worried about her clothes or her books, but – horror of horrors – her hockey stick had been blown up.
Her first teaching post was at Kessingland. It was still war time. The authorities felt that it would be a good idea to put on some activity for Land Girls in the evenings, and Dorothy was asked to teach them country dancing. After a day's labour in the fields, the Land Girls were, understandably, not too keen on this.
When Dorothy arrived at Great Yarmouth High School for Girls, she was handed a pair of tweezers. This was for removing splinters from the bottoms of girls who had come to grief on the old wooden equipment in the gym.
Girls who were keen on games will remember her with gratitude. She was a very dedicated teacher who worked hard to help them to success. Among the stars of the games field was Anne Pashley, who went on to gain a bronze medal in the women's 100m in the 1954 European Championships in Berne and a silver medal as a member of the relay team in the 1956 Olympics in Australia. Dorothy used to recall Anne's first long jump at GYHS when she completely overshot the sand pit and landed on the grass the other side. Mr Jermy had to lengthen the sand-pit.
Other star pupils were Judith Starling, who won the Senior long jump event in the English Schools Championships in 1960, and Pat Donaldson, who played hockey for England.
Dorothy was asked to help with the school's Guide company, and did so happily, assisting the captain, Miss Taylor. Later she became an enthusiastic captain herself, constantly organizing hiking and camping. Through these activities, we learned about trees, flowers and animals. Dorothy gave many of us a lasting love of the great outdoors, particularly of wild flowers. In the Guides, we acquired practical skills useful in adult life, such as map-reading, bed-making, and how to give first aid. We had a lot of fun, making fires and cooking on them, tracking through woods, singing round a camp-fire in the dark. Dorothy set before us a standard of service to others and cheerfulness in adversity.
Hal was quite a bit older than Dorothy. When she married him in 1972 she gave up work in order to spend time with him. Thankfully, Hal lived to a good age, and they had 25 happy years together, both contributing a great deal to life in Bungay. Dorothy was president of Bungay Flower Club.
Those of us who attend the Old Girls lunches were amazed at how little age affected Dorothy's youthful appearance and smart turnout, her quick brain, her memory, and her zest for life. Latterly, she has looked younger than most of those she taught. When she took a couple of her old pupils for a walk last July, at the age of 89, she still walked like a woman in the prime of life. Her cheerfulness in old age has been a shining example to us. It was always a pleasure to see her, and we shall miss her very much.
carole dane owen
It is with great sadness that we learned of the sudden death of Dorothy Stevens (Miss Capon) on 16 October 2012. She came to the school in 1947 to teach Physical Education, and left in 1972 when she married Hal Stevens, the popular ex-headmaster of Bungay Area School (now Bungay Middle School), where she taught before she came to the High School.
Dorothy was born in Lowestoft and went to Lowestoft Secondary School, where she excelled at games, especially hockey and tennis. She was in the school hockey team and in the Suffolk Ladies hockey team. She and her three sisters and her brother spent many happy hours on Lowestoft North Beach. Dorothy became a very good swimmer and came second in a race in Lowestoft harbour.
From school, Dorothy went to Keswick Training College near Norwich. It was during the Second World War and the college was bombed. Dorothy lost everything and went to her father in tears. She wasn't worried about her clothes or her books, but – horror of horrors – her hockey stick had been blown up.
Her first teaching post was at Kessingland. It was still war time. The authorities felt that it would be a good idea to put on some activity for Land Girls in the evenings, and Dorothy was asked to teach them country dancing. After a day's labour in the fields, the Land Girls were, understandably, not too keen on this.
When Dorothy arrived at Great Yarmouth High School for Girls, she was handed a pair of tweezers. This was for removing splinters from the bottoms of girls who had come to grief on the old wooden equipment in the gym.
Girls who were keen on games will remember her with gratitude. She was a very dedicated teacher who worked hard to help them to success. Among the stars of the games field was Anne Pashley, who went on to gain a bronze medal in the women's 100m in the 1954 European Championships in Berne and a silver medal as a member of the relay team in the 1956 Olympics in Australia. Dorothy used to recall Anne's first long jump at GYHS when she completely overshot the sand pit and landed on the grass the other side. Mr Jermy had to lengthen the sand-pit.
Other star pupils were Judith Starling, who won the Senior long jump event in the English Schools Championships in 1960, and Pat Donaldson, who played hockey for England.
Dorothy was asked to help with the school's Guide company, and did so happily, assisting the captain, Miss Taylor. Later she became an enthusiastic captain herself, constantly organizing hiking and camping. Through these activities, we learned about trees, flowers and animals. Dorothy gave many of us a lasting love of the great outdoors, particularly of wild flowers. In the Guides, we acquired practical skills useful in adult life, such as map-reading, bed-making, and how to give first aid. We had a lot of fun, making fires and cooking on them, tracking through woods, singing round a camp-fire in the dark. Dorothy set before us a standard of service to others and cheerfulness in adversity.
Hal was quite a bit older than Dorothy. When she married him in 1972 she gave up work in order to spend time with him. Thankfully, Hal lived to a good age, and they had 25 happy years together, both contributing a great deal to life in Bungay. Dorothy was president of Bungay Flower Club.
Those of us who attend the Old Girls lunches were amazed at how little age affected Dorothy's youthful appearance and smart turnout, her quick brain, her memory, and her zest for life. Latterly, she has looked younger than most of those she taught. When she took a couple of her old pupils for a walk last July, at the age of 89, she still walked like a woman in the prime of life. Her cheerfulness in old age has been a shining example to us. It was always a pleasure to see her, and we shall miss her very much.
carole dane owen
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