Anne Bower, a teacher of chemistry and mathematics, has died at the age of 80. She taught at grammar and comprehensive schools in Newcastle, Sunderland, and Rotherham.
Born in Newcastle upon Tyne and raised in South Shields, Bower graduated from the University of Leeds in 1966 with a degree in chemistry and a subsidiary in maths. She later studied for a diploma in education at Leeds.
Her teaching career included Gosforth grammar school in Newcastle (1967-70) and Bede grammar school in Sunderland (1970-71). Bower had a long association with Oakwood comprehensive school in Rotherham, teaching maths from 1971 to 1974 and again from 1984 to 2003. She held senior management positions, was part of the parent-teacher association, and represented colleagues on the school governing body and at curriculum meetings with the local authority and the Department for Education.
Bower also served as an examiner for chemistry and maths with examination boards in Oxford and the north of England, as well as for international students. In retirement, she became proficient in French, Italian, and Spanish.
She was a governor of Canklow Woods primary school, a supporter of students from less privileged backgrounds, and a volunteer with the Youth Justice Service and local hospital and hospice. Bower was an active member of the National Union of Teachers and a longstanding member of the Labour party.