Births, engagements, marriages and vale notices

WEDDING

Kylie Sin (2017) married her partner of 6 years, Jeremy Lay, at the Pymble Chapel on 22 March 2025.
“Having studied at Pymble from K-12 and lived next to the school grounds for most of my life, being married at the Chapel was such a special, full-circle experience for us. The day was made even more meaningful as we were able to celebrate with many of our closest Pymble friends. It was a beautiful blend of past and present, and Jeremy and I could not have imagined a more perfect place to begin our next chapter together.”

VALE

Mrs Betsey Whitfield (nee Brain)

1939-2025

We wish to share that our former pupil Betsey Whitfeld (nee Brain) passed away on 2 January 2025. She loved being a student at Pymble, with her sister, Barbara and her mother, Joan, also being Alumni from the College. Her sons remember fondly all the warm memories she told of friends she made in her school years, some of whom she carried throughout her entire life, especially her dear friend Jan Kennedy (nee Gordon). She was predeceased by her husband, Roger, and will be missed by her three sons, their wives and her twelve grandchildren.

Mrs Helen Booth (Jenkyn, 1954)

1937 – 2025

Born in 1937, mum’s connection with Pymble was lifelong although she and her sister were originally booked into Abbotsleigh.  

The war changed those plans, and with their home in Avon Road Pymble, a stroll from the school’s ‘back entrance’, mum and her sister Val Grogan (Jenkyn,1951) were sent to Pymble instead.  

Starting at the age of 4.5 years old in 1942, mum enjoyed all that Pymble offered. She loved having her big sister there, admired and adored Miss Knox, was tenacious on the hockey field and qualified for Tildesley Shield in tennis. Most importantly mum formed lasting friendships many of whom were in attendance on January 28th 2025 when we celebrated her life at St Swithun’s Church at Pymble. 

Although finishing in 1954, her close association with the College continued, with her sister teaching there for a time and daughter Catherine starting in 1970 in the Prep school. 

Mum joined the Pymble Ex-students’ Union (ESU) Committee and served as its President from 1981-1982.  She always looked forward to her school reunions and seeing ‘old girls’ across the generations as a regular attendee at the Commemoration Day Services.  

Marrying Donald Booth in 1960, they set up home first in Lindfield and then in Turramurra, raising my younger brother and me and spending summers at her parent’s beach house at Palm Beach with her extended family. 

In the 1970s, outside of ‘home duties’, mum enjoyed a good game of golf (she was a member of Killara, then Elanora), played tennis socially with friends, hosted great dinner parties, lunches and card days, again with ‘the girls’.  

Mum was active with committees and fundraising – most notably her association with St John’s Ambulance raising awareness and valuable funding throughout her life.  

As her family grew, mum enjoyed being G’Ma of four and was blessed to have a granddaughter who might too have ‘followed suit’ (as we moved to Orange in 2002 when Anna was three, this did not eventuate and she attended Kinross school instead – their black watch tartan offering a small nod to mum’s and my time in the uniform). 

Dad died in 2003 and mum felt his loss enormously. Friends and family became even more important as she navigated life without him. Those early friendships and connections helped keep her vibrant and engaging, and all who met her recall that. She kept her wicked sense of humour, the sparkle in her blue eyes and remained sharp and determined to the end. 

With the news of mum’s passing on 17 January 2025 at the age of 87 years, I have received heartfelt messages and flowers (thank you) from ‘our’ Pymble community. She was loved by her family and by those who knew her.  And for that she should feel fortunate, as I indeed do. 

This year I will host and celebrate our 45 year reunion with her very much in mind. 

Cath Thompson (Booth, 1980)