Auriel Goode - Alumna and Former Member of Staff
Born 1927, died 2024. A graduate of the department of Law (MA Criminology 1970), and later a lecturer in the Department of Social Sciences.
We are saddened to learn of the death of Auriel J Goode, alumna and former staff member.
Auriel was born in South London and received her early education there. When WW2 bombing in London became a problem her parents sent her to the safety of boarding school at St Helen's and St Katherine's Abingdon, where she was one of only a handful of pupils to gain a Higher School Certificate. From school, she went on to the London School of Economics and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1948.
After graduating, Auriel became a Probation Officer in Barnet. Auriel met her husband Michael when they found themselves in the same digs in Luton. After their marriage in 1952 they moved to ºù«Ӱҵ where Michael worked as a Solicitor with Taylor and Emmet. Auriel transferred to the ºù«Ӱҵ Probation and Social Work team, continuing to work for them even after the birth of her three daughters.
Auriel was always interested in Criminology. Her experiences whilst working in probation led to a lifelong fascination with the cause of crime and methods of crime prevention. In her 50s she decided to re-enter education at ºù«Ӱҵ, and became the first woman in the UK to gain a masters degree in Criminology.
After gaining her masters, Auriel was invited to lecture in the University's Department of Social Sciences, where she stayed for the remainder of her working life. During this time, she worked for Professor Eric Sainsbury in the iconic Arts Tower. Her colleagues included Pamela Mann, Juliet Berry, Werner Sassenwein and Michael Bailey, among others.
Auriel never looked backwards, and was always moving forward and learning - she even rose to the challenge of learning French when one of her daughters moved to France. At age 70 she took up playing the violin, in her 80s she learned computer skills and enjoyed sending emails to friends and family, and was happily shopping online into her 90s!
This determination to keep going, to keep seeking out new experiences, and to always be making a contribution kept Auriel vital, active and strong to her last days. Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones.