Betty Crowther

23rd September 1927 – 5th February 2025
Former Assistant Bursar until 1988

Written by Betty’s niece, Hilary Omissi OBE

Some of you will remember Betty Crowther, who was part of the fabric of St Swithun’s for many years. Betty passed away peacefully in February this year, aged 97. Born in Southport, Betty was the youngest of three children. After school she joined Martin’s Bank as a cashier, but it was in 1950 that her life changed when she met Neville Crowther. Apparently she was particularly taken by his MG sports car and soon after they met they were married. Their son Trevor was born in 1953, and when Neville’s job took the family to Winchester, Betty joined St Swithun’s, a move that would shape the next chapter of her life.

Betty started in the bursary and quickly became indispensable. According to a former colleague “she seemed to know how everything worked and, more importantly, how to make things work when they didn’t!” Day to day she kept the wheels turning amongst staff: catering, cleaning and housekeeping, making sure that everything ran like clockwork. She eventually became assistant bursar, supporting the Headmistress with everything from concerts and open days to the annual speech day which involved a significant amount of catering as well as a marquee. A particular highlight of Betty’s career at St Swithun’s was helping mastermind the centenary celebrations, in May 1984, which included the very successful visit of Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal (Princess Anne).

She was admired for her professionalism and thorough knowledge of every aspect of the bursary, from accounts and payroll to the management of school lettings during the holidays. She acted as coordinator to the board of governors, the bursar’s personal assistant and indeed was knowledgeable in all aspects of the bursar’s office.

Colleagues across all departments valued her approachability and her readiness to assist with any difficulty, no matter how large or small. She was firm but fair and well respected. A former colleague has said that she was “someone who was approachable if there was a problem whichever part of the school you were employed in”.

Betty also formed lasting friendships within the school community. In her latter years as assistant bursar she shared a close professional and personal bond with the then Headmistress Joan Jefferson (who subsequently became Lady Appleyard). Joan recalled a story from a previous headmistress about Betty’s immaculate appearance, which was never sacrificed, even in a crisis! When the junior school caught fire in the small hours, Betty arrived perfectly turned out in full make-up. Her first comment to the headmistress who had just returned from a black tie function? Not about the fire, but: “What a beautiful dress!”. Following her retirement, Betty was persuaded to remain as Joan’s personal assistant, continuing to serve the school with the same loyalty and dedication as when she was assistant bursar.

Animals were another constant in Betty’s life. Her golden labrador, Kim – a birthday gift from her sister Grace and niece Hilary - became a familiar sight at school. Kim’s only quirk was a dislike of anyone in a white coat, thanks to rather too many visits to the vet! One unfortunate lab assistant found herself pinned against a wall by an indignant Kim, much to everyone else’s amusement.

Outside school, Betty’s faith played a big part in her life and in retirement she devoted her time to Winchester Cathedral, managing the busy information desk team of around 40-50 volunteers for over 5 years. She commissioned the new altar cloth in the Epiphany Chapel in memory of her husband, Neville, who passed away in 2017 and the kneelers in the Chapel in memory of her son, Trevor, who passed away in 2015. Betty will be fondly remembered by all who knew her at St Swithun’s – not only for her dedication to the school and its ethos, but for the warmth and style she brought to her role as assistant bursar. ■

Published in the OGA Chain 2025.