Obituary: Lynda Pugh; Feminist, socialist, anti nuclear and troops out campaigner,

‘To leave the world a better place and to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived… this is to have succeeded.’

 

Obituary: Lynda Pugh; feminist, socialist, anti nuclear and troops out campaigner, pioneer in women’s aid who helped set up the first refuge in Birmingham.

During the 1980s, Lynda was a member of Women Oppose the Nuclear Threat (WONT) and was a regular at Greenham Common in Berkshire: blockading entrances, cutting perimeter fences and being hauled away by the police. She later sold her wire cutters for charity.

Image and comment source ; http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/may/08/lynda-pugh-obituary

Lynda Pugh, who has died of cancer aged 64, was a political and social campaigner who strove to improve the lives of others. She was involved with many different causes and made many friends through her passion for social justice and her sense of fun.

Daughter of Doris and Kinsey Pugh, Lynda was born in Wolverhampton and went to Wolverhampton girls’ high school. While studying to be a librarian, she realised she preferred people to the Dewey decimal system, and retrained as a social worker. She qualified at the end of the 70s and spent most of her subsequent career in Birmingham, working with children in care.

Political and social issues played an important part in Lynda’s life. In many ways she was a pioneer, and was involved with establishing pregnancy testing through the Birmingham Women’s Centre. She also helped set up the first Women’s Aid refuge in the city and later became a board member.

During the 1980s, Lynda was a member of Women Oppose the Nuclear Threat (WONT) and was a regular at Greenham Common in Berkshire: blockading entrances, cutting perimeter fences and being hauled away by the police. She later sold her wire cutters for charity.

She was involved in many Irish freedom campaigns such as the Troops Out and Women in Ireland movements. She visited Irish prisoners and picketed army barracks and police stations. More recently Lynda joined the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign – continuing to help run its city centre stall well into her illness.

Lynda had wide cultural interests, and introduced many of her friends to the arts – often paying for events they might not have thought of attending themselves. She was also a keen potter and walker. A lifelong Guardian reader, she was thrilled to very occasionally complete the cryptic crossword.

She was pleased to retire at 60, seeing changes and cuts looming ahead. While firmly committed to campaigning, she always retained her mischievous sense of humour. When she knew that her treatment for kidney cancer was no longer effective, Lynda looked briefly back at her life: not one for sentimentality, she said that her life had been good, but she regretted not having had more dancing and sex.

She is survived by sister, Olwen Shand, her two nephews Mark and Paul and their children Kai, Louis and Blue.

By Olwen Shand.
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 Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid paid their own tribute to Lynda.

 Lynda was a Board member and a passionate feminist.  She was in the original squat that helped set up the first women’s refuge in Birmingham and stayed fighting for women & children affected by domestic violence through her short life.  Joining in our staff meetings and events, Lynda was often in the background, quietly acknowledging people’s efforts and providing support where it was needed.  Extremely self deprecating, Lynda was not one to be in the forefront; her support was solid and dependable.  She made a big contribution to the work of Women’s Aid over many, many years.

Lynda was committed to improving women’s lives and supported many causes – as she herself said:

‘To leave the world a better place and to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived… this is to have succeeded.’

We will miss her deeply, and will fight on in her memory.

May 23, 2013 - Posted by arclight2011 | Uncategorized