The following obituary was written by Dr. David Niddrie, husband of Dr. Mary Niddrie who taught at our school from 1950 to 1965. She was, as many of us remember, a wonderfully cheerful, inspiring, and effervescent personality.
MARY NIDDRIE (nee Leiper), born to Scottish parents, matriculated from Warrington High School, Cheshire, in 1922 and accompanied her parents to Pietermaritzburg, where she attended Natal University College (1923-1927). She acquired her B A with a double first class in English and French. An MA first class followed in 1927.
After attending the Sorbonne in Paris, Mary travelled and studied in Germany and Italy. On her return to Pietermaritzburg in 1932 she was appointed head of the department of French at NUC and served in that capacity until 1950, with leaves of absence to be an exchange lecturer at University College London (1935, 1936) and in 1938-39 to acquire her PhD at the University of London.
In 1942 she obtained military leave to serve in the South African Air Force. After demobilization she sailed to Stanley, the Falkland Islands, to marry Lt. David Niddrie SANF(V) in 1945.
The couple returned to South Africa via London in 1947, where daughter Patricia was born. Both David and Mary resumed their teaching posts at NUC until 1950, when they returned to Britain.
David was appointed to the University of Manchester while Mary became head of modern languages at Eccles Grammar School (1950-1965). In 1961-62 and 1965-66 both were visiting professors at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, United States, as well as teaching summer sessions at the University of Puerto Rico in 1961 and 1965.
When David was appointed Professor of Geography at the University of Florida, Gainesville, in 1966, Mary became lecturer in the French department.
After Mary gave up academic duties in 1980, she accompanied David on widespread travel across the 50 states and Canada in their motor home.
They undertook a number of trips to Europe and South Africa. The last of these was to the Golden Alumni celebration at Pietermaritzburg in September, 1995, when Mary was honoured as the first female head of department at NUC.
Mary was a brilliant teacher and scholar, and was actìve to the very end, with her wits unimpaired. She had a long and happy life, and all who knew her will miss her cheerful smile.
By David L. Niddrie (B Sc Hons '38, M Sc '48, Ph D Manchester, 1965) Gainesville, Florida
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
A date of 4/4/1997 appeared on the article on the Web.
David Niddrie himself passed away in 1997 according to the University of Florida, Gainesville, website. He was born July 18, 1917 and died August 24, 1997 (age 80).