With Lucetta Geymonat, he also judged an English speaking competition in
the school, for which the URC Waldensian Fellowship provides the prizes.
Students choose a passage from Shakespeare, from either play or sonnet,
which they learn by heart.
He also translated Lucetta’s book on the Collegio into English and pro-
duced an English translation of the Torre Pellice Waldensian Church’s website
for them. For the URCWF Newsletter he contributed insightful articles and
book reviews.
Several members of the Fellowship attended his funeral in Ashford, as
did Lucetta Geymonat from Torre Pellice, bringing condolences from the staff
and former Headmaster of the Collegio, Elio Canale. Very well attended also
was the Memorial Service in Cambridge, conducted at Emmanuel United
Reformed Church by his life-long friend the Revd Professor David Thompson.
Tributes from family and friends gave testimony to the great affection and
esteem in which they held him.
Kate Grand
[edited]
Ruth Cowhig 1915–2016
A life spent in the service of
God’s justice
Ruth Cowhig, who died at the age of 100
years and seven months, was a ‘unique’
person. Born in London, she had roots in
the Presbyterian Church in England. She
studied English Literature at Girton Col-
lege, Cambridge, and was recognised as
one of the top students at the University
of Cambridge; but in the 1930s graduation
was not permitted for women and Ruth
Tony Earl and Ruth Cowhig.
had to wait until later to receive her degree.
Ruth was much affected by the crisis
of the 1930s. She became a member of the Communist Party, and after finishing
her studies she worked for the Workers’ Educational Association, promoting
the education of the working classes. We believe it was at one such meeting
that she met William Cowhig, a young scientist. They married.
The Second World War saw a deepening of Ruth’s commitment to justice
and peace. Returning to the Presbyterian Church, she strongly linked social
issues to her faith. She was very interested in the role of the Churches dur-
ing the ‘Cold War’ and for 10 years she served as Convenor of the Missions
Committee of the Presbyterian Church. After the union of the PCE and the
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