Ann Elstob, a well-respected and dedicated teacher at St Bede’s College from 1986 to 2006, passed away on Saturday 1 October.

Ann had a significant impact on all that she met and taught, with debating being her specialty having coached many winning teams over the years.

Since her passing, Old Boys have been honoring Ann by sharing memories of their time with her.  Here are some of them:

Matt Gregory (1998-2002)

Wonderful lady! RIP Mrs Elstob from the debating coach to the one who took us all for dancing lessons for the end-of-year ball. You will be missed!

David Schaper (1987-1991)

Ann will be missed by many and did such a great job for a generation of us keen young men who were finding our place in the world. The skills we learned have certainly served me well in life.

Michael Butchard (1989-1993)

One of Mrs Elstob’s / Ann’s many gifts was how she created the space, the conditions for so much debating chemistry, and life-long friendships. Ann saw our potential and knew how to realize it. She was an expert fosterer of self-belief, and her belief in her treasured teams never wavered. Ann was smart, nurturing, loyal, generous, and of course, fun.

Ann, you gave us more than what we could hope to repay. Thank you, and Rest In Peace.

Drew Davies (1998-2002)

A great woman who left her mark on many young men, a real class act.Will always remember winning the 3rd form Haka competition and getting a kiss from the queen of St Bede’s. she impacted many in her life of great service.RIP Ann

Brian Cuddy (1993-1997)

Thanks for both your messages passing on the news. I'm very sorry to hear it, and please do pass my condolences on to Norm and Tim.

I remember being in touch with Ann around the time of the debating reunion. I was overseas at the time and couldn't make it back to New Zealand, but thanks for sending the photos and programme.

In terms of a tribute, here are a few words you can add to the file if you're still collecting them:

I'm very grateful for Mrs Elstob's enthusiasm and unconditional support. More than just a debating coach, she always instilled confidence and a sense of fun in her team. She was a wonderful presence, and I know she will be missed. My condolences to Norm, Tim, and everyone else in her life.

Matt McGrath (1999-2003)

The discipline and passion that she instilled in me for public speaking in general, and debating in particular, focused my attention during my high school years. It also shaped and influenced everything after. Her loss will be felt immensely by a generation of St Bede's boys.

Eric Kang (2001-2005)

I had the great fortune to have been encouraged by Mrs. Elstob to try out debating. It was following our loss in the inter-house debating competition in Year 10. I was quite disappointed, and in any case, I never particularly fancied public speaking, especially as a non-native English speaker. I would’ve just moved on, but somehow she really believed in my potential and convinced me to give it a serious try. This really ended up having a profoundly positive impact on my life.

She took us under her wing and showed us such belief, generosity, and dedication to help us grow and mature into upstanding young men. I remember those fun and intense weekends, training with her and Hayden Ryan preparing for the Press Cup. I remember right before debates started, she used to tell me to “give us the foot-on-the-throat stuff”. I remember we drew great confidence from her assuring nods and thumbs-up when speaking on stage. And I remember our jubilant debriefs at her home after these events.

Debating under her guidance is one of my fondest memories at St. Bede's, and truly one of the best things I’ve ever done. She taught us invaluable lessons in self-confidence, composure, persuasion, and the important ability to view issues from different perspectives. I learned so much from seeing her passion, her intellect, and her vivaciousness. Thank you, Mrs. Elstob. It was an honour and a privilege to have been one of “your boys”.

Gratefully yours,

Eric Kang

Gareth Baker (1990-1994)

3AE - Many great memories of you taking the lads to tennis - RIP Mrs Elstob.

Joshua McGettigan (2000-2004)

So sorry to hear about Ann. Definitely a life too short, but what a wonderful impact she had on so many lives in the time she had.

I was fortunate enough to participate in several Bishop Lyons tournaments with Ann as our Team coach and leader, as well as several Junior and Senior Debating Tournaments and exchanges. Her charisma, loyalty, warmth, and sense of humour rubbed off on all of us, and I will never forget the team pep-talks she used to provide before any competition (always concluding with a humble plea for St Jude (hope of the hopeless) to help, if all else failed).

She really was one of a kind and a legend in her own time. Rest easy Ann - you will be missed, but your legacy lives on.

Peter Butchard (2000-2004)

Mrs Elstob was my debating coach in 2004 when I was in 7th form.

It was the only year I debated, but I made the senior team with Josh McGettigan and Eric Kang. I am very grateful she gave me a chance despite my lack of experience.

We had a very successful year, winning the Christchurch Secondary Schools competition, which she was rapt about.

I remember her as a very engaging, funny, and enthusiastic person.

She had a passion for current events and politics.

When she went over different arguments from different points of view she would get animated and gesture, and talk loudly, and you couldn't help but get carried away with her.

She was also incredibly generous with her time, investing her time with us after school in the evenings and attending tournaments on weekends. At the time I thought that's just what teachers did, but now as an adult, I appreciate how finite a resource time is, and how kind that was of her.

Mrs Elstob's had a lasting impact on my life in two ways.

Firstly, that year of debating really honed my love of hearing different points of view. I helped me see that there's always some truth in an opposing argument and that people can reasonably disagree.

Secondly, and more importantly, I met my future wife through debating that year. She was in the St Margarets debating team. We have been together for 14 years, married for 4, and have just had a daughter, Abigail who is 2 months old. So, I'll always be grateful to Mrs Elstob for that.

Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord and may perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace.