Remembering Brenda Hillier (née Watson) 

1938 to 2019 

Class of 1956 

We are sad to inform JAGS Alumnae that Brenda passed away last December after a long battle with Parkinsons Disease and, at the end, liver cancer. 

Brenda will be remembered during her JAGS days as very sporty and part of the hockey and tennis teams. She wanted to train as a PE teacher but her father wouldn’t let her as he thought it would give her muscles which were unbecoming for a lady! Instead Brenda trained as a Home Economics teacher at Battersea College and had a long and happy career at various schools. 

Brenda married Gordon (a Dulwich College Pupil) in 1961 and had two daughters, Anne and Karen. When Anne (Class of 82) and Karen (Class of 84) started at JAGS, she chose to become involved in James Allen's Old Girls Association. Brenda ended up being Treasurer for 27 years seeing through three Headmistresses.  

Brenda also did voluntary work in the Friends of Kings College Hospital shop for many years. 

Brenda’s longest standing friend was Maureen Ellis (née Perrett) who she met at JAGS aged 7 and they enjoyed 74 years of friendship. Throughout Brenda’s life she also kept in contact with other JAGS friends, Eileen Hamilton (née Black), Sheila Williams, Pat Firth (née Mines) Francis Eggo (née May) and Angela Angel (née Winter).  It was lovely that they all met along with others from their year at the Alumae Tea Party in 2018, when they were all celebrating being 80 years old. 

A tribute to Brenda’s kindness and generosity was the 120 family and friends that came to her funeral at which Maureen gave an amazing eulogy of her life. 

To Brenda family and friends were everything. She leaves behind Gordon, daughters Anne and Karen, three grandchildren and one great-grandaughter.