It is with great regret that we share news of the death of our former Headmistress, Jackie Lang, following several months of illness.
Jackie’s association with Walthamstow Hall was lifelong: as a pupil, Headmistress (1984-2002) and committed member of the Old Girls’ Association. She led the School through some significant developments, including the merger with St Hilary’s and the opening of the Ship Theatre. In 1997 she became the President of the Girls’ School Association.
In a recent Old Girls’ magazine article, highlighting the fact that three consecutive Walthamstow Hall Headmistresses had attended St Anne’s College, Oxford, Jackie remembered applying for the role:
“I thought it would be fun to try. I’d been very happy there from the age of five and was given an incredibly useful education, but I wasn’t looking to move and I didn’t really expect to be appointed. However, I was, and had another extremely happy time there – nearly 19 years – before retiring in 2002. I hope I was able to give back something to the school to which I owed so much.”
Jackie attended her last meeting of the alumnae governing body group at School in the Spring Term last year.
She opened our Sixth Form building, The Lang Centre in 2017 where she presented the Head Girl Team (pictured above) with a textile piece she had commissioned from the former Head of Art, Mrs Meg Carter, depicting cabbages. Mrs Lang explained that there used to be a vegetable plot on the site of the building when she was a student at the School and like cabbages, Wally girls were encouraged to be tough, with a good heart!
The Lang Centre quickly became known in School – appropriately and affectionately – as ‘TLC’. We send our love and thoughts to Jackie’s family, friends and former colleagues.
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