FORMER Labour councillor, York magistrate and educational pioneer, Irene Faulkner, has died aged 92.

Irene, of Dewsbury Terrace, South Bank, was born on June 23, 1918, and died suddenly on Sunday, September 12, in York, of a pulmonary thrombosis.

She was a stalwart supporter of the Labour Party and a champion of the comprehensive education movement in York. Irene trained as a nursery teacher and in 1947 she married Trevor Faulkner, who was also a teacher, and worked in further education.

The couple have two children; Nick, 62, who lives in Germany and teaches English and Penny, 60, who lives in Paris and runs a committee for Human Rights in Vietnam.

Penny said: “Mum’s life was somewhat unconventional – she was a pioneer in many domains, she was very progressive and open to new ideas. “She set precedents such as in the early 1950, when there was no nursery education available, in order to help working mothers with very small children, she set up a nursery school at her then home in New Walk Terrace, with over 20 children aged between two and five and both myself and Nick were amongst the pupils of the school.”

Irene worked tirelessly as a Labour councillor in York and North Yorkshire for 38 years. She was chairman of the York education committee and on the board of governors of many schools.

Penny said: “Mum was very interested in comprehensive education, and putting an end to the 11+ exam. She began the battle for comprehensive education in the 1950s, and by the 1970s it was beginning to happen in York.”

Irene was a York magistrate for 24 years, and chaired the bench for many years, retiring in 1988.

She loved France, and after retirement she and Trevor bought a small property in Montpeyroux, near Montpellier, where they spent six months of the year. After Trevor died in 2004, she continued to spend her summers in France. She celebrated her 92nd birthday this year, surrounded by family and neighbours.