We are very sorry to confirm the death of Eileen McCamley, one of the most significant and respected members of staff in the recent history of The Mary Erskine School whose period of service from 1973 until her retiral in 1992 coincided with some of the most important decisions made in respect of the school. As Deputy Principal of MES under Robin Morgan and Patrick Tobin, Eileen was at the centre of the planning which led to the amalgamation of Mary Erskine with Stewart’s Melville College. The School will forever owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Eileen for her determination to maintain all that is best about girls’ education throughout these momentous discussions.
Prior to her appointment as Deputy Principal many will remember being taught German by Eileen and hundreds will recall how much they benefited from the UCAS references which she provided. When she retired, Eileen was appointed as an Honorary President of the MESFP Guild and in this role enjoyed attending many functions each year up until the summer of 2015. Eileen spent her final years in care but never failed to ask for news of the school.
Throughout her career and in retirement Eileen always remained true to Mary Erskine, an indomitable supporter of girls’ education but also very clear-sighted in her understanding of the advantages of the ‘best of both worlds’ which lie at the core of the structure of today’s ESMS. She will be much missed by her former colleagues and pupils and her memory will be honoured for as long as girls attend the Mary Erskine School.
The photograph is of Miss McCamley's final year at the school.
