We had the pleasure of knowing Monica through Roger ,Mary and the family.Her humour and interesting stories we remember well.l recall her coming to us over the Christmas period for food and chatter.Having played concerts in South America l remember talking about the British Council and many of her stories.A fascinating and lovely character.

I wanted to share parts of a letter I received from one of Monica’s good friends, Pamela Kwami (nee Clarkson), when she heard that Monica had passed away, as it describes so well many of Monica’s wonderful attributes. “Monica was not just efficient, she was also effective and kind, and generous and loyal. Though she usually stayed, diplomatically, within the constraints of decorum, there were occasional glimpses of a more ‘gun-ho’ Monica. I met Monica in Chile in 1973. She was a cheerful, mature woman working for the British Council. I was a young artist with a free spirit on a scholarship with the Council. Monica was not judgemental; had she been so we would not have become friends. She believed her friends to be the best of the best. At a dinner party hosted by Monica in Santiago, she introduced me to a line of guests, mostly academics, highlighting their extraordinary achievements in glowing terms. I was a ‘leading contemporary artist’, a description I did not recognise. After Chile we stayed in touch. Monica wrote to me from Kumasi, Ghana, inviting me to visit. It was the early 1980s and I was working and not able to find the time. Ironically I found myself living there a few years later with my Ghanaian husband. Monica went out of her way to introduce me to Ghana and her old friends, many of whom were, like me, in cross cultural marriages. The artist Ablade Glover was the Dean of the College of Art in the early 90s and my husband’s professor. Glover remembered Monica with affection; she had facilitated an exhibition of his work at the Commonwealth Institute in London, commemorating his 90th birthday. In his speech he thanked “a certain lady in the British Council” for kickstarting his international career. In her time in Kumasi, Monica played a part in the exhibition ‘Asante, Kingdom of Gold’ which came to the UK. I remember her amusement as she recalled delays with customs who queried her export of guns..they were, in fact, ancient weapons bound for museum display! I cannot imagine Monica having been depressed, bored or with nothing to do. She was indefatigable. She was also funny, kind, generous and brave.” I had the honour of being one of Monica’s godchildren. She was a true force of nature, wonderfully kind and thoughtful and calm in the face of chaos or crisis. She always had words of wisdom to share, which you would have been foolish to ignore! I will always cherish the times she and I spent together, sometimes with my others in my family, which enriched our lives..it’s hard to believe we’ll never hear her booming laugh again. Rest in peace xx

Monica - thank you for inspiring my love of the theatre. Thank you for your generosity, wise words and all the laughter! I'm so glad we got to enjoy one last day out to see the sea in June. I will miss all your stories and coming to see you. Lots of love, Becky xx