Grace Mainstone, my mother, passed away peacefully on 1st February 2026 at Musgrove Park Hospital. It felt fitting that she died on the eve of Candlemas, as she was someone whose life quietly reflected the light of Christ through her kindness, generosity, and love for others.

Grace was a teacher at Queen’s College from 1994 until her retirement in 2019, serving as Head of EFL for the majority of that time. Her appointment came about in a somewhat unique manner. After having applied for the role, she then travelled to Malaysia during the summer holidays to visit family. Quite by coincidence, the then Headmaster, Mr Christopher Bradnock, would be travelling to Malaysia that summer recruiting students. Her interview took place not in an office, but on the streets of Melaka walking together, talking, and sharing local food. It was an unconventional beginning, but in many ways perfectly suited to mum: warm, relational, and rooted in people rather than formality.

She joined Queen’s College in September 1994, and from the very beginning approached her students not simply as pupils, but as young people far from home who needed support, encouragement, and belonging. Her classroom door was always open. Students knew they could come to her not only with academic questions, but with worries, homesickness, or simply the need for conversation. She treated them, quite genuinely, as if they were part of our extended family.

Over the years this closeness naturally extended beyond the classroom. With the school’s permission, students would come to our home at the end of term, particularly to celebrate occasions such as Chinese New Year or simply to mark the close of the academic year together. Our house was often full of laughter, food, and young people who, for that time at least, felt they had somewhere that was home.

During her years at Queen’s, the EFL department grew significantly. Mum invested enormous time in her students, frequently giving extra support at lunchtimes or after school, always wanting them to succeed and to feel confident in their abilities. Many went on to achieve excellent academic results, but more importantly they left with a sense that someone had believed in them personally.

Grace was born in Japanese-occupied Malaya. She became the first person in her family to attend university, an achievement she held dear and which shaped her lifelong commitment to education and opportunity.

Music was also an important part of her life at the school. Although her academic degree was in Geography, she was also an accomplished musician, achieving Fellowships in both the LRSM and LTCL. She sang in the school choir for many years and, with characteristic determination, even learned the viola later in life so she could join the school orchestra. While music was about achievement and excellence for her, it was also about participation, joy, and community.

Those who knew Grace will remember someone who was deeply kind, attentive, and genuinely interested in others. She always had time for conversation, and when you spoke to her you felt heard. She carried a warmth that put people at ease, whether they were colleagues, students, or parents meeting her for the first time.

She remained fiercely independent throughout her life and right up to her final weeks. As a Christian, she believed in the resurrection and the life of the world to come. While we feel her loss deeply, we also hold the comfort that she is now reunited with her daughter Marion and her husband Bernard, in the presence of God whom she trusted throughout her life.

While she was my mother, I know that for many students at Queen’s College she represented far more than a teacher. She offered genuine care, encouragement, and a sense of home.