Born in Southport into a Methodist family, she joined the WRNS in 1940 and spent the war years either in London or on the South Coast. She was a "wireless telegraphist," conversant with a variety of secret codes, as she worked on intercepting and monitoring messages from U boats. Once the war was finished, she completed her education and became a teacher. Eventually, under pressure from colleagues and education officers, she became a head-teacher. This was at a time when comprehensive schools were coming into being. At Leyton and at Loughton, she oversaw the transformation of selective (and prestigious) schools and was widely acclaimed for the manner in which this was achieved. In retirement, she served as one of the treasurers of MCOD and brought wisdom and inspiration to her colleagues there as well as travelling to far-flung places as a kind of roving ambassador for Methodism's overseas work.