My cousin Fay Kramrisch, who has died aged 98, was a much-loved figure in education around Bradford in West Yorkshire, where many a senior local dignitary referred to her affectionately as “Auntie Fay”.
A teacher in Bradford, Fay served on various education-related committees across the city, including as president and treasurer of the Bradford Schools Athletic Association and secretary of the Bradford Schools Drama Committee. She also volunteered as a youth leader.
Born in Amsterdam to Jewish parents, Hilda Lamm and Mark-William Kramrisch, Fay moved around frequently in her youth due to her father’s work as a textile trader, living in London, Manchester and then Bradford.
Her schooling was disrupted as a result, and she frequently had to catch up by studying in public libraries. At 16, during the second world war, she worked as an assistant design engineer for the General Electric Company, testing radio receivers for the RAF. To help her with her work, GEC sponsored her to study maths, radio communications and electronics at Bradford Technical College, and after the war she moved on to Bingley College to do teacher training.
Fay never married, and her school career - as a maths then English needlework and PE teacher at the Highfield, Eccleshill and Fairfax schools in Bradford – became all-consuming. She won several awards for her teaching, and in 1978 was made OBE for her work on organising a scheme to meet the special needs of local foreign exchange teachers. She was made a life member of the National Union of Teachers, and wrote a handbook, Information for Teachers in Bradford Schools, which was in every staff room across the city.
Fay was a staunch royalist, deeply proud of having met Queen Elizabeth II twice. Like her royal role-model she had the strongest of work ethics, and with regret once turned down an invitation to a royal garden party as she did not want to be absent from work.
After retiring in 1985, she enjoyed showing visiting friends the culture, history and beauty of Bradford, and was often asked by senior figures across Bradford to entertain important visitors by doing the same with them. In addition she used her multicultural connections and friendships across Bradford society to liaise with interfaith groups, working quietly and tirelessly to bridge gaps across religions and cultures. Her genuine interest in others, together with her self-effacing manner, led her to be respected by all.
