A colourful colleague

Those of us who remember Glenda Gallagher will never forget her. I remember with gratitude how welcome she made me when I arrived at Carroll College for the first HSC year in 2000. She was a generous person who taught French with passion and skill. Glenda was ebullient and sought excellence in students under her tutelage. Her beret and vivid attire were iconic.

Glenda was a wonderful cook and shared her love of pastries with élan and éclat. Her classroom was festooned with posters and artefacts from France. A large photograph of Carcassonne springs to mind. Glenda brought her family out to our house in Tuross later that year as a housewarming. Her lovely daughters, Dominique and Zoe, played their musical instruments underneath a 50-year-old Shiraz vine on a glorious summer’s day that year. She regaled us with stories about international travel and even the history of places in the Eurobodalla.

Glenda was vibrant and her colourful personality matched the hair colours we looked forward to seeing regularly. There was something European in her approach to culture and the Arts. I am sad to see her passing as I am sure many parents and members of the wider local community are at this news.

Carroll College has been in existence for 25 years. In that relatively short time we have accrued a rich tradition and it is important that we remember and acknowledge our colleagues past and present. In some sense, teachers stand on giants’ shoulders.  A dear friend of hers informs me that she was well loved in the beauty therapy business she ran. The posts on her Facebook page affirms the esteem in which she was held.

To Rob and her family, I extend a sincere expression of sympathy on behalf of Glenda’s colleagues in the years she taught at Carroll College. She was one of a kind and I do hope her past students share their fond memories of their time in her classroom where Europe was magically transported to Broulee.

Adieu.  I am privileged to have been a colleague and friend. Thank you for the energy and commitment you displayed every day of your teaching career and the joy you imparted to those around you.

Paul  Cullen