Tuesday October 31, 2017

Kind and selfless teacher

Obituaries

Glenda Le’ Gallant – Born: August 13 1951 | Died: September 16 2017

Tuesday October 31, 2017

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Glenda was a much-loved teacher at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College for 18 years, an active member of the Adelaide Hills parish and a dedicated volunteer with Caritas Australia, the Hutt St Centre and Red Cross.

Glenda’s mother died when she was 13 years old and she was brought up by her grandmother and aunt in Sydney.
Glenda and her children, Hilary and Edward, moved to Adelaide from Sydney in 1991.

She was a member of the Parents and Friends Association at St Catherine’s School Stirling for many years and formed close friendships with other parents.

She began studying for a Bachelor of Education in Sydney at the Australian Catholic University but only completed one year there due to family commitments. In Adelaide she resumed her studies and completed her thesis on Emeritus Archbishop Leonard Faulkner.

Glenda was a member of the Red Cross Mylor branch for 26 years and generously gave of her time and energy for fundraising work.

She arranged the church flowers and cleaning at St Matthews and was a member of the team who looked after Our Lady of the Rosary Church at Stirling East.

Another of her volunteering roles was at the Hutt St Centre where she helped in the kitchen preparing meals and lunch packs.
Glenda attended tap dance classes at Aldgate Dance for many years and performed in every annual concert since 1997. She helped behind the scenes with ticket sales and fundraising and was cheerful and enthusiastic on stage.

Teaching at OLSH gave Glenda a sense of personal achievement. She was passionate about history and her involvement in special studies included attending the Mylor ANZAC Day ceremony with a bus load of students and doing history walks of the township.
Glenda always put the needs of others first and forever showed people how much she was thinking of them – either by way of a thoughtful greeting card or note, a kind gesture, a bunch of flowers or a unique gift. She never forgot an anniversary, birthday or other special occasion. She was a true friend – kind, compassionate and loyal.

Glenda selflessly gave her time, love and dedication to the Church and to charities, including Caritas Australia of which she was a committee member for 10 years. She would bring a group of students into the city each year to help prepare material for Project Compassion.

In a liturgy of remembrance conducted by the Adelaide Caritas Committee, Glenda was described as “fiercely dedicated to upholding the dignity of others” in her work with the humanitarian aid agency, as a teacher and as a member of the Adelaide Hills parish.

Glenda personified what it truly means to be part of the Catholic family, dedicating her life to the service of others and to ensuring everyone felt connected and cared for. She was passionate about providing her students with opportunities to experience the wonder of God’s grace.