We have just sadly heard that Marion Minhall, a former teacher at the school, has passed away after a short illness. Our sympathy and condolences are with her family.
Marion was a regular at the Old Boys Dinner and indeed was our Guest Speaker in 2008 just after she retired, having joined Borden in 1984 where she became Head of Lower School and was especially responsible for developing the Debating Society which saw the school team reach the All England finals.
The funeral took place at Borden Church on Thursday 24th July at 11-30am.
Link to BGS site article - http://website.bordengrammar.kent.sch.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=796
Comment received from John Gibbard :
I would like to pass on my sincere condolences following the news of Marion's passing.In my time at BGS along with my brother Richard, 'Mrs Minhall' was a genuine and profound influence on my education. From her engaging English literature lessons, her role as our form mistress, champion of our debating and public speaking teams and the pastoral care she offered throughout she is part of many of my fondest memories at the school.I recall standing on the stage in the old hall reciting Shakespeare under her instruction for a recital to be held in a random barn somewhere in front of Felicity Kendall (i'm not sure what competition it was!) and, to this day I can still recite much of the Hamlet soliloquy as a direct result of her insistence one afternoon that if boys were to say 'to be or not to be, that is the question' then they should jolly well learn the whole thing. We did, and it stuck.I remember also her real devotion to her 'boys' and initiatives like her uniform shop (finally, proper rugby tops and school scarves) and I remember her cheerful anecdotes and her choked recollections (at the OB's dinner in 2008) of another dear teacher, Jon Adams after his untimely death in Qatar.The confidence I have in public speaking and debating and my continued affection for the same (albeit less publicly) are entirely down to her and I am forever grateful for that. I am pleased to have caught up with her in 2008 and only wish, like so many, that there were more opportunities to do so in later years.Once again, my deepest sympathies at the loss of your mum, please take some comfort that all our memories of her are brilliant ones,fondly
John Gibbard (leaver 1996)