Tributes to former South Shields teacher who taught at Simonside Primary School for 40 years

Dulcie Morris, who passed away on August 28 at the age of 90, taught at Simonside Junior School in Jarrow for 40 years until 1983.

Known for her passion and enthusiasm, she was also regularly featured in the Gazette for her inspirational ‘thoughts of the day’.

Her daily Bible verses, which she sent in to the editor for at least 10 years from the mid-70s to 80s, proved to be a great source of comfort for readers.

Dulcie and her twin sister Margaret were born at home in The Ridgeway in South Shields on 17 May, 1929, where they lived with their mum, a milliner, dad who worked in the Co-op and older sister Iris.

In the late-60s she moved to Cleadon where she and her sister lived until September 2018 when they moved to a care home in the North West to be closer to family.

Dulcie never married and instead became one of her generation’s first ‘career women’ becoming the first in her family to go to university when she completed her teacher training at St Hild’s College in Durham.

She went on to teach age seven and eight year olds at Simonside Juniors a range of subjects including English, maths and elocution lessons and was passionate about educating people about language.

“She tried to introduce South Shields to Shakespere,” remembered Dulcie’s niece, Deborah Ewing-Chow, who lived with her aunt while she was growing up.

“She would always be bumping into people who she had taught in the shops and on the street.”

Deborah can recall Dulcie typing up the verses for the Gazette every Sunday.

“I think she thought it was uplifting. She saw it as part of her role as a teacher and she wanted to educate people,” continued Deborah, who now lives in Altrincham.

“She was always very pleased when people would write in to say that the verses had been a comfort to them.

“It was part of her passion for education, literature and faith.”

A memorial service will be held at All Saints Church, Cleadon Village on 26 September at 2pm.