Honouring the life and service of former teacher

THE life of a former Westbury Infant School teacher will be honoured with a memorial plaque and tree planting. 

Ruth Robertson, who was a teacher at the school from 1997 to 2016, resigned from her role due to ill health and following her recent death, her family have organised for a permanent reminder of her life and service to the school to be placed on the school grounds.  

Ruth’s daughter-in-law, Leanna, said that Ruth had, “touched so many hearts in her time.”  

“When I say teaching was her passion, it really was, she put her all into teaching and loved every single minute,” Leanna explained. 

“She also remembered every single child she taught, which I always thought was incredible. She was the first in line to do the discos and after school events, summer and Christmas fares and she was always such a joyous, happy, energetic, enthusiastic person and teacher. 

“Westbury Infant School have kindly agreed to having a tree planted and a plaque for Ruth to remember her by. We would like to reach far and wide to let people know of her sad passing and we feel this would be a lovely way to do it.  

“Everyone I know in Westbury and Dilton Marsh knew and loved Ruth. She had a massively gorgeous personality and she never met a stranger, she loved and cared for everyone.” 

Ruth was born in Bradford-on-Avon before she moved to Dilton Marsh where she would remain for the whole of her life. Ruth married Malcolm Robertson in 1983 and they were married for 40 years -they had three children together and six grandchildren. She went to college later in life and got her degree in 1995 at Bath College, before working at Westbury Infant School. 

Leanna added, “Ruth’s daughter, Holly Robertson, followed in her mum’s footsteps and became a wonderful teacher. Her granddaughter, Alisha, is just doing her level 3 in childcare, also following in her grandmother’s footsteps. This just shows how she was thought of and looked up to.” 

Westbury Infant School headteacher, Stacey Budge added, “I didn’t know Ruth for long myself, but she always came across as a very warm and kind teacher, who was passionate about supporting the children in her class to achieve their best. Ruth was a super team member and would do anything to help anybody. Staff who worked with her were very sorry to hear of her passing. The school’s thoughts are with Malcolm and the family.”