OBITUARY Miss Mary Enright Had Fine Record Of Service

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30965, 22 January 1966, Page 12

OBITUARY Miss Mary Enright Had Fine Record Of Service

Miss Mary Enright, who died in Christchurch yesterday, had an outstanding record of community service which was recognised by an award of the M.B.E. in the Birthday Honours of 1948. A woman with friends every-

where, Miss Enright will be remembered for her generosity, her vitality and for the energetic enthusiasm which she gave to whatever she undertook. Appointed lady editor of “The Press” in 1921, Miss Enright held this position with dignity, outstanding ability and integrity for 34 years. At the time of her retirement in August, 1955, she had taken a personal interest in and had attended meetings and functions of almost 250 voluntary social welfare organisations and women’s organisations. Born in Charleston, she was a daughter of Mr Timothy Enright, a well-known Westport businessman, and Mrs Enright Miss Mary Enright was educated at Westport and later at Nelson Girls’ College, where she was a prefect and dux of the school. For a time she was a school teacher on the West Coast including appointments at Charleston. Later she and her sister. Miss Nonie Enright, conducted a private school at Westport.

As a very young teacher. Miss Mary Enright coached a number of young men for the public service entrance examination. Some of them later had distinguished careers in New Zealand public life. At one time Miss Enright held the West Coast women’s tennis championship and she played a good game of golf. She was a member of the United Tennis Club for many years and was on the committee of the Christchurch Ladies’ Golf Club for 18 years and its honorary secretary for several years. She was the first representative of a metropolitan newspaper to go outside its city to report women’s national golf championships. Miss Enright was keenly interested in the health camp movement from its inception. She was chairman of the committee which o;>ened “Glenelg” as a permanent health camp in 1945 and was a member of its management committee for many years. For about six years she was a member of the Dominion Advisory Board of the New Zealand Federation of Health Camps. In 1948 she was awarded an M.B.E. and five years later the Coronation Medal.

Miss Enright was the only woman vice-president of the New Zealand Federation of Tuberculosis Associations and was also vice-president of the northern branch of the South Island Tuberculosis Association. For eight years she was an official visitor to Cashmere for the Sanatorium Service Committee. A devout member of St. Mary’s Church, Manchester street, Miss Enright was a foundation member of the Catholic Women’s League. Other organisations of which she had been a member include the following: the Red Cross Society, the Navy League, the English Speaking Union, the Victoria League, the British Sailors’ Society, the Canterbury (N.Z.) Travel Club, the Friends of St Helens, the Friends of Te Waipounamu, and the Nelson College Old Girls’ Association. Miss Enright is survived by a sister. Miss N. Enright, of Christchurch.