My friend Lucia Devine, who has died of cancer aged 57, was a dedicated educationist, committed to bringing sport, dance and the arts to all the children and young people she encountered during her career in east London.
Daughter of Elizabeth (nee McGirl), a former civil servant, and Larry Devine, a wages clerk for ICI, she was born in Wingate, a small mining village in County Durham, and baptised Mary, after her two grandmothers, at the local Catholic church; her faith remained important to her throughout her life. Her mother quickly decided to use her middle name, Lucia.
Loo, as she became known, studied at St Mary’s University College, Twickenham, south-west London. She taught PE and dance at Elliott school, Putney, and then at Notre Dame, Southwark.
Ten years later, she moved to Newham, east London, to become an advisory teacher for PE and dance, leading development of the subjects in primary and secondary schools. Her work fostered a network of support and camaraderie among dance practitioners that still exists. She also established a national profile working for the Youth Sport Trust.
Loo became a significant and effective member of the Newham school improvement team. She was respected for her professional ability and the generous spirit in which she worked with others.
In the run-up to the 2012 Olympic Games, as the lead officer representing children in the legacy plans, Loo ensured that more than 8,000 young people, including representatives from every Newham school, took part in a multitude of events. She also fulfilled her own ambition to take part in the opening ceremony, and danced as a nurse in the NHS scene.
She excelled at anything she turned her hand to, whether it was playing the piano, singing in a choir, speaking Italian or being a friend. She also told a good story, and was always able to paint a vivid picture with precise detail. She made us laugh.
She is survived by her sisters, Ann and Felicity, and nephews, Tom and Will.
