INT. J. OF EARLY CHILDHOOD, 1985, 17,2

In 1950 she started the French National Committeewhose president she remained until 1977.

She was the author of publications on education anddirected a French educational Review for about thirtyyears.

She was a Commander of the Legion of Honour anda Commander of the Lebanese Order of the Cyprus.

She will be remembered as a woman of action, untiringin her commitment, an excellent organiser, talentedspeaker and a warm and engaging personality.

Simonne CombebiasSecretaire Generale du CFEP

Paulette TripotinTresoriere du CFEP

Madeleine ABBADIEPresidente du CFEP

Helene GILABERTVice-Presidente du CFEP

Mes chers Amis,

Ayant incidemment appris le deces de Mme Herbiniere­Lebert, j'ai imrnediaternent telephone ala Presidente duComite Francais qui vient de me confirmer cette tristenouvelle. Mme Herbiniere est decedee Ie 11 octobre 1985.

Ainsi en peu de temps, l'OMEP vient de perdre plusieursde ses membres les plus valeureux. Bien que Ie tres grandage de Suzanne Herbiniere-Lebert et Iedeclin de ses forcesdepuis plusieurs annees nous avaient en quelque sorteprepares aI'annonce de sa disparition, cette nouvelle con­stitue neanmoins un douloureux evenernent pour I'OMEPen raison de la tres grande place que Mme Herbiniere atenue dans la creation, I'organisation et Ie fonctionne­ment de notre organisation pendant plus de 30 ans.

Ses engagements dans des entreprises d'envergureinrer­nationale avant meme la creation de I'OMEP, son puis­sant dynamisme et son rayonnement personnel faisaientd'elle un membre exceptionnel de notre organisation. IIn'est guere d'endroits ou je passe, ou I'on ne se souvienneavec admiration de son propre passage.

Par son don si particulier de parole elle etait comme unebanniere claquant au vent car elle portait toujours treshaut les couleurs de I'OMEP.

Au moment de sa disparition nos pensees ernues saluentsa mernoire avec affection.

77

Je remercie la Presidente du Cornite Francais, MadeleineAbbadie, qui fut pendant si longtemps sa fidele col­laboratrice, de preparer pour Ie Journal de I'OMEP unenotice sur l'ceuvre de notre chere et regrettee Presidente­Fondatrice.

M. GoutardPresidente Mondiale

Dr EVANGELINE WARD1920·1985

OMEP Members throughout the world will be shockedand profoundly saddened by the news of the sudden deathof Dr Evangeline Ward of U.S.A., whilst on a visit toAustralia.

Dr Ward had been invited to be a principal speaker atthe Australian Early Childhood Association TriennialConference in Brisbane, where she presented two notablepapers and participated in workshops and seminars. Shemade a tremendous impact and her paper 'EducatingYoung Children for Peace' had been considered theoutstanding contribution at the Conference.

Whilst in Melbourne, Dr Ward lectured on the themes'Educating Teachers for 1985and Beyond' and the nextday she went to Canberra to take a seminar there,intending to return to Melbourne and then travel to Chinaand Japan the following week. Two days later, withoutany warning, the unbelievable happened, and Dr Wardcollapsed and died from a cerebral haemorrhage.

A simple funeral service was organised in Canberra towhich some of Dr Ward's Australian friends managedto attend at very short notice, and there will be other ser­vices arranged in the USA later.

In addition to being one of the two Elected Members ofthe Executive Committee of OMEP, Dr Evangeline Wardchaired the Resolutions Commission. She had beenresponsible for the revision of the Handbook, and alsoserved as a member of the Nominations Commission.Currently she had been working on a forthcomingpublication tentatively entitled 'OMEP Directions,1968-86' which was to coincide with the 40th Anniver­sary of OMEP to take place in Prague in 1988.

Dr Ward's period of office on the Executive Committeewas remarkable for the amount of work that sheaccomplished, and her great ability, clarity of thoughtand expression in all the projects that she undertook. Her

78

intellectual achievements in the US were many, and shewas a brilliant lecturer, presenting her subject in anoriginal and compelling manner. Whatever work DrWard engaged in, it was always completed ahead of time,and her opinions were not lightly given, but carefullyconsidered.

The first international meeting Dr Ward attended as amember of the US National Committee, was in Warsawin 1977, and she was at everyone held subsequently, oftenchairing workshops and working extremely hard at all theextra tasks which fall on members of the Executive Com­mittee. At the same time she enjoyed to the full, the ac­tivities and events organised by different National Com­mittees, and took every opportunity to learn about thecountry she was visiting and absorb something of itsculture and history.

Dr Evangeline Ward was probably one of the best-lovedmembers of OMEP, and had a warm and spontaneousmanner and gift for friendship which endeared her toeveryone. It will be hard to imagine OMEP meetingswithout her charming and courteous presence, alwayshelpful, always constructive, and a gracious represen­tative of her country.

The great tragedy for OMEP is that Dr Ward, havingtaken early retirement from Temple University,Philadelphia, was preparing to stand as a candidate formore responsible office on the Executive Committee. Thiswould have enabled her to devote her time and intellec­tual brilliance to further the work of OMEP, in whichshe wholeheartedly believed.

Our thoughts and deepest sympathy are extended to herfamily, her many colleagues and friends, in this greatsorrow which has overwhelmed us all.

Gillian BedddingtonOMEP Representative to UnescoMember of the OMEP Executive CommitteeMelbourne, AustraliaOctober, 1985

Lettre aux Membres de I'OMEP de Madeleine Goutard,Presldente Mondiale

Vendredi Ie 18 octobre, 1985

Mes chers arnis,

C'est avec une profonde tristesse que je vous fais partdes nouvelles que j'ai recues de Mme. Reddington. Notrechere amie Evangeline Ward est subitement morte par lasuite d'une hernorragie cerebrale, Ie 11 octobre enAustralie, ou elle venait de faire plusieurs conferences en

INT. J. OF EARL Y CHILDHOOD, 1985, 17, 2

reponse a une invitation du comite australien.

La morte d'Evangeline est une grand perte pourl'OMEP car c'etait un des plus brillants, cornpetents etassidus de nos membres. Elle aurait encore pu beaucoupcontribuer a nos activites et elle nous manquera fort,autant pour son ami tie que pour ses talents.

En hommage a sa memoire, Ie Comite australienpubIiera les trois discours qu'elle a fait dernierernent enAustralie. Nous tiendrons tous beaucoup acette publica­tion, bienqu'aucune publication ne fasse valoir sonremarquable talent d'oratrice.

Au nom d'OMEP je voudrais remercier Ie Corniteaustralien et la Vice-Presidente Regionale Marian Cleggpour avoir represente l'OMEP aux funerailles organiseesa souhait de la famille.

Dans une lettre aDr. Joyce Huggins, j'ai exprime notreangoisse et nos condolences au Comite National des EtatsUnis qui a perdu un de ses membres les plus valeureux.

Carta a los miembros de la OMEP de Madeleine Goutard,Presidente Mundial

Viernes, 18 de octubre de 1985

Queridos amigos/as:

Con profunda tristeza os comunico la terrible noticiarecibida de Mrs Reddington: Nuestra querida amigaEvangeline Ward ha fallecido repentinamente de hemor­ragia cerebral el 11 de octubre en Australia, dondeacababa de pronunciar varias conferencias en respuestaa una invitacion del Comite Australiano.

La muerte de Evangelina es una gran perdida para laOMEP, pues ella fue uno de nuestros mas brillantes, com­petentes y dedicados miembros. Podria haber contribuidotodavia muchisimo a nuestras actividades, y notaremossu falta con tristeza, echando de menos su amistad tantocomo sus talentos.

Como homenaje a su memoria, el Cornite Australianopublicara las tres recientes charlas que dio en Australia.Todos nosotros guardaremos como un tesoro esa publica­cion, pero desgraciadamente ninguna publicacion seracapaz de hacer justicia a sus singulares dotes de oradora.

En nombre de la OMEP, expreso mi gratitud al CorniteAustraliano y a la Vicepresidente Regional, Marian Clegg,por haber representado a la OMEP en los funerales, quehan sido organizados con arreglo a los deseos de lafamilia.

INT. J. OF EARLY CHILDHOOD, 1985, 17, 2

En carta al Dr. Joyce Huggins he expresado nuestroprofundo pesar y solidaridad al Comite Nacional deEstados Unidos, que acaba de perder uno de sus miem­bros mas valiosos.

from Madeleine Goutard, World President

My dear friends,

It is with the deepest sadness that I forward to you theterrible news received from Mrs Beddington. Our dearfriend Evangeline Ward died suddenly from cerebralhaemorrhage on the 11th of October, in Australia whereshe had just given several lectures, responding to aninvitation from the Australian Committee.

Evangeline's death is a great loss for OMEP because shewas one of our most brilliant, competent and devotedmembers. She could have still contributed very much toour activities and we shall miss her sadly, missing herfriendship as much as her talents.

As an homage to her memory, the Australian Commit­tee will publish the three recent speeches she gave inAustralia. All of us will treasure this publication verymuch but unfortunately no publication will be able to givejustice to her remarkable talents as a speaker.

In the name of OMEP, I express our gratitude to theAustralian Committee and to the Regional Vice PresidentMarian Clegg for having represented OMEP to thefunerals which have been organized according to thewishes of the family.

In a letter to Dr Joyce Huggins, I have expressed our deepsorrow and sympathy to the National Committee of theUnited States which is losing one of its most valuablemembers.

Note: A Memorial Fund in Evangeline Ward's name hasbeen set up by the US National Committee. For infor­mation contact USNC President, Joyce Huggins.

From: Bettye Lewis-Underhill, U.S.A.

Expressions of shock, sadness and disbelief at the suddendeath of Dr Evangeline Ward of the USA poured intothe office of OMEP United States National CommitteePresident, Joyce Huggins from all over the world.

79

The request was made of me that this be a review of"Van's" professional life and so it is. But the words oflove and loss and appreciation for the woman that Vanwas must come first.

From former OMEP President, Margaret Roberts, 'Shewill be much missed by all those who knew her, workedwith her and appreciated her many gifts - her warmthand her energy and her lively mind, her sincerity and hercompassion, all attributes the world so badly needs.'

From Janis Blakey of Canada, 'Personally, I shall neverforget Evangeline's wonderful smile and the endearingway in which she made all of those around her feel com­fortable and welcome. She left a very deep impressionon me and I shall always treasure the time I spent withher.'

From Audrey Curtis from London, 'She was such adynamic personality, full of enthusiasm and zest forliving. OMEP has lost a loyal and committed supporterand the children of this world a true friend.'

My own sense of loss of a dear friend, colleague, andon many occasions, a fellow conspirator has been over­whelming. She gave me strength and encouragement asshe did to everyone who knew her. She justified thedefinition of a "true leader" as one who achieves hergoals by helping and inspiring others to do the things theydo best. I miss her!

But what of Evangeline Ward? What did she do in the65 years of her life that prompted such sadness and feel­ings of great loss in so many? Dr Ward believed in peopleand spent most of her life serving young children. Shewas a professor of Early Childhood at Temple Universitywhere she inspired graduate and undergraduate studentsto be the best that they can be. Van's students numberin the thousands and are located around the world andacross the United States. Many of them were at theMemorial service on November 1st in Philadelphia.

She first appeared at an OMEP International meeting inWarsaw in 1977 as a member of the U.S. NationalCommittee and attended everyone after that. One of herspecial pleasures was to learn all she could about thecountry she was visiting and absorb something of itsculture and history.

Personally and professionally Dr Evangeline Ward wasa very special person. The loss of her leadership will besorely felt for many years partly because of her personalwarmth and partly because of all those things she plannedon doing but didn't have time to do.

Evangeline had a dream! Let us follow in her footstepsand "EDUCATE YOUNG CHILDREN FOR PEACE!"