Ilse Ryder obituary

Ilse Ryder, a remarkable woman who escaped Czechoslovakia just before World War II and later flourished as a mathematics teacher in London, has passed away at the age of 94. Born in Brüx, Czechoslovakia, Ilse was the only child of Ernst Stein, a lawyer, and Elise Stein (née Grunfeld), a mathematician. After her parents’ separation, she moved with her mother to Vienna and then to Prague.

In a dramatic turn of events, Ilse was airlifted from Prague to London in January 1939 through the Barbican Mission to the Jews. A photograph from her arrival at Croydon airport captures a determined 10-year-old Ilse, holding the hand of her lifelong friend, Peter Needham. Her mother joined her in Britain some months later, working as a domestic servant.

Despite the initial language barrier, Ilse’s brilliance shone through. At 17, she earned a scholarship to St Hugh’s College, Oxford, where she graduated with a degree in mathematics. Her career began as an actuary, followed by a stint in Oxbridge entrance coaching, and eventually, she found her calling as a maths teacher at Cheadle Hulme school in Cheshire. It was there she met her future husband, Leslie Ryder, a fellow teacher. They married in 1958.

The couple moved to London in the late 1960s, where Ilse continued her teaching career, first at Wandsworth school and then at Kingston College of Further Education. At Kingston College, she not only oversaw Oxbridge applications from the mathematics department but also played a pivotal role in encouraging young girls to pursue careers in science and engineering. She retired in 1992.

Ilse’s life was marked by an insatiable curiosity and determination. She had a deep appreciation for music, literature, and politics. Even in her late 80s, she traveled alone to music festivals and relearned Czech to attend a family reunion in her childhood home in Brüx. Her commitment to helping others was evident in her volunteer work with refugee-focused charities and her involvement in the Labour party.

Ilse’s husband, Leslie, passed away in 2007. She is survived by their two sons, Nick and Jon, and two grandchildren, Matt and Charlie.

For more details, you can read the original obituary on The Guardian.