Kath Horton 1998

Kath Horton 1935-2017 (BGGS 1946-1953) 

Kath was born in Barrow, and lived virtually the whole of her life at 40 Furness Park Road, from the time that the house was built in 1936. Shortly after returning from an enjoyable holiday in Northumberland, including a visit to Holy Island, she died suddenly but peacefully at home on 2nd June 2017. 

Kath was among the first of the Old Girls of the Barrow Grammar School to join the OBA when the Association opened its membership to former pupils of both the boys and girls schools. She was delighted to be the first ‘Old Girl’ to serve as President of the Association in 1998. She played hockey and tennis for the school and her forte was swimming. She gained the Royal Life Saving Award and helped train others in these skills. Her sporting interest continued when she played hockey for Furness Ladies. 

While at Oxford Street School she joined St Paul’s Brownies and progressed through the Guide Movement as Patrol Leader, Leader of St Paul’s Guides, District Commissioner and finally President of the Barrow Division. As Patrol Leader of the Robin Patrol, one of her patrol members was Dorothy Clark (now Warbrick) of St Bee’s, with whom she retained a close friendship. 

Kath's working life was with Glaxo in Ulverston, where she enjoyed 35 years in the Biological Control Laboratory up until retirement. In those years she was an enthusiastic member of the “Caterpillars”, the Glaxo Walking Group. She also retained her interest in camping with a regular group of friends camping in the traditional wood-fire style in the Duddon Valley, not too far from the Newfield Inn at Seathwaite. Kath’s mountain walking interest took her not only on to the tops of the Lakeland Mountains but on holidays to Scotland and many other parts of Europe. Scottish holidays were also enjoyed when she drove her parents there. 

In more recent years with a group of Barrow Ramblers friends she visited the Highlands and Islands twice a year. There the Munros were gradually replaced by Lochside strolls where she followed another of her interests, sketching and painting. She was a faithful member of St Paul’s Church in Barrow and trained as a Licenced Reader in the Church of England leading services in many churches in the area. 

From 1979 to 2005 she served as a Justice of the Peace. 

Kath will be much missed by her sister Margaret (now Wilson), as well as her family and friends, together with the many people she served in the community