A WOMAN who worked until she was nearly 70 and spent her life campaigning for community issues has died.

Irene Saunders, of Walford Road, Uxbridge, died on January 23 at Hillingdon Hospital, aged 89.

Mrs Saunders was born Elizabeth Irene Moad in 1924 in Jarrow-on-Tyne, and was the youngest of nine children.

Her parents had worked in the shipyards, but ship building on the Tyne was in trouble and everyone was desperately poor.

Her father, James, was unemployed when she was born and her two elder brothers, John and Reuben, died of tuberculosis and meningitis.

Her mother Annie, who was active in the Jarrow Labour Party, left the family to work as a cook in Uxbridge, sending money and food home.

In 1934, when Irene was only nine years old, her father died.

Mrs Moad collected Irene and her sisters, Mary and Joan, and brought them to Uxbridge on an overnight bus. Irene continued her schooling in Uxbridge and later gained a place at Ealing Technical College to study secretarial skills.

Her first office job was at Kirby’s builders. Subsequently, she worked for the Civil Service Union, which she greatly enjoyed.

While working in London, she got chatting to a man called Ron at Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park. They found they shared similar political views and in 1951 they were married – the start of 59 happy years together.

They lived first with her mother and stepfather, Annie and Dick, then later in Hillingdon, with their friends Harold and Joan. They then moved to Uxbridge, where they had their two daughters, Janet and Jill.

“Mum was active in the Uxbridge Labour Party, the
Co-op Party,” said Jill Waterfield.

“Dad was also a member of these organisations and an active trade unionist and he was also secretary of the Uxbridge branch of the Union of Construction and Allied Trades.

“They spent all their lives in the Labour Movement, working tirelessly to change conditions for the working class and standing up for workers’ rights.

“Growing up in a socialist political family was very exciting, with demonstrations, discussions, strikes and letters to the newspapers.”

Alongside her political and community commitments, Mrs Saunders always made time for her family. She was very fond of her nephews and nieces, the children of her siblings Jimmy, Pat, Joan and Mary.

Pat and Joan lived nearby, and their children would often visit the Saunders’ home.

As her children got older, Mrs Saunders went back to work part-time, and studied O-levels in commerce, German and English at evening classes.

In the late 1960s she started teaching commerce, shorthand and typing at Evelyns School in Park View Road, Yiewsley, now Stockley Academy.

She loved teaching, and in her early fifties trained as a teacher at Roehampton College. She taught at Northwood School, in Potter Street, and at Barnhill School, in Hayes.

Mrs Saunders was not afraid to try new things and learned how to use computers, and after taking early retirement, carried on doing supply and special needs teaching at Featherstone High School, in Southall.

She also enjoyed writing, often about her own early life.

Mrs Saunders was very proud of her two grandchildren, Bryn, born in 1980, and Lara.

When Lara was born in 1994, Mrs Saunders stopped work completely to be her nanny, and she and Mr Saunders had a new lease of life as grandparents. They also enjoyed holidays together, travelling widely, including Russia, Scotland, Malta and Norway.

Her family say Mrs Saunders had a sharp tongue and she was always prepared to fight for any cause, especially local planning issues. She also ran Whitehall Residents’ Association until quite recently.

When her husband died in 2010, Mrs Saunders was devastated but she tried hard to pick herself up again.

Her family say they will remember her as a loving mother and a strong character who always had time for people.

A humanist funeral service is being held in the East Chapel at Breakspear Crematorium tomorrow (Thursday) at 2pm, and people are invited to join the family afterwards at The Woodman pub, in Howletts Lane.

Mrs Saunders supported the NSPCC for much of her life and people are invited to give to the charity in her memory. Donations may be sent care of Co-operative Funeral Care,
940-42 Uxbridge Road, Hayes, UB4 0RL.