Memorial held for Mabel

SCORES of people turned out to pay their respects at a service in memory of a well-known headteacher.
By The Newsroom
Published 17th Apr 2017, 05:55 BST
Updated 9th May 2017, 18:33 BST
The ashes of Mabel Rankin, a well-known teacher, have been laid to rest at St Thomas A Becket Church in Warblington Picture: Ian Hargreaves (170480-1)The ashes of Mabel Rankin, a well-known teacher, have been laid to rest at St Thomas A Becket Church in Warblington Picture: Ian Hargreaves (170480-1)
The ashes of Mabel Rankin, a well-known teacher, have been laid to rest at St Thomas A Becket Church in Warblington Picture: Ian Hargreaves (170480-1)

Former pupils, staff, friends and family attended a service led by celebrant Neil Sagar Stewart at St Thomas a Becket Church, Warblington, on Friday, April 7 in memory of Mabel Rankin.

Mrs Rankin worked at Horndean Infants School in the 1970s. She died aged 99 on February 2 at Pinewood Nursing Home in Chidham.

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She had also earlier been the deputy head of Sharps Copse Infant School in Leigh Park and head of Stockheath Primary School.

Mabel RankinMabel Rankin
Mabel Rankin

Her eldest daughter Penelope Aeberhard said: ‘It was a very warm service, which saw family members give us insight into aspects of her life right from her birth in 1918.’

Mrs Aeberhard said she was pleased to see a former teacher from Sharps Copse Infant School and a former pupil, who now lives in Holland, attend.

Mrs Rankin moved into the area with her family when her husband, Eric, was appointed head of Warblington School, Havant, in 1964, a post he held for 14 years. He died in 2003.

She is survived by two of her children, Penelope and Paul. Her youngest son, Mark, an architect, pre-deceased her.