Judy Rafferty
We have lost a much loved friend and comrade Judy Rafferty, who died on Thursday 4 December, following a short illness.
Raised in Herefordshire, Judy moved to Birmingham to complete her teacher training and worked as a teacher for 40 years. She joined the Socialist Workers Party in 1989 and was active in both Birmingham and Oxford.
Known for her warmth and sense of humour, Judy also had a reputation for being a principled fighter both as an NUT education union rep and as a revolutionary socialist.
She worked as an ESL specialist teacher at Anglesey Primary School for 20 years. It was here she was elected as an NUT rep and led fights for better pay and against cuts to education and pensions.
In the 1980s, Judy and her friends built solidarity for the Great Miners’ Strike, regularly collecting money to support the striking workers across pubs in Birmingham. In the early 1990s during the poll tax revolt Judy acted as a “McKenzie friend” lay representative to defend comrades faced with prosecution by Birmingham City Council.
On moving to Oxford in 2019 she threw herself into activity and quickly became a leading comrade in Oxford SWP with her attention to detail and determination to help educate new activists. She led by example and was a regular on local anti-racist protests to push back the far right and on Palestine marches calling for an end to Israeli genocide.
Judy never missed the annual Marxism Festival including this year when, despite being 72, she was on the front line when fascist Nick Tenconi and his thugs tried to disrupt the event. One of our younger Oxford student comrades, impressed by Judy’s strength and courage, described her actions as “older person goals!”
She remained an active member for the rest of her life until her illness prevented her activity.
Judy is survived by her longstanding partner Peter, three cats and many friends and comrades. She will be remembered for her warmth, generosity, humour and indomitable fighting spirit and will be missed by many.
Funeral arrangements to be confirmed.
