The Original Greek selected crops - Flipbook - Page 21
For perhaps two years Mrs O’Connell provided coaching, lessons
and tuition freely to help me with my schooling. She loved me and
my sister, and guided me through my early years by providing
education and Christian spiritual guidance.
We found out later that Mrs O’Connell’s first name was Nancy but
we never called her by her first name. Out of respect we always
addressed her as Mrs O’Connell. By the time I reached my third
year at secondary school I did not need to see her anymore for
tuition. I was doing well at school and continued to make progress
and improve.
Mrs O’Connell loved me and my sister
Through the years I have come to increasingly realise how
wonderfully kind Nancy O’Connell was to me and my family. Nancy
knew Jesus. She had a strong faith in God and loved attending
church. She was self-giving and generous with her time and talents.
Because of her I was able to further my education when I left
secondary school. Firstly, by gaining my Ordinary National Diploma
and thereafter my Higher National Certificate, both in engineering.
Those qualifications enabled me to have a wide choice in
engineering job offers. I chose to accept a top job with Irvin
Great Britain, Letchworth, Hertfordshire. Irvin made parachutes.
I was an Assistant Project Engineer working in the research and
development department for over six glorious and happy years.
Robert Logan was a brilliant and experienced designer at Irvin.
He could design any parachute for any application. We supplied
parachutes for RAF fighter aircraft, ejector seats, dropping
supplies, the Ariane Space Rocket and for personnel use.
In later life, whilst living in Chichester, Nancy and I corresponded
several times. She was proud and happy that I was in full-time
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