My partner, Lynn Jenkinson, who has died of encephalitis aged 71, was one of the first women to become an assistant director at a local education authority, holding that post with Liverpool city council from the early 1980s until her retirement a decade later.
Lynn was appointed to her job on the back of a reputation for dedication and hard work over many years, including being the head of a community school that pioneered family reading and writing classes during which adults would sit beside children to improve their literacy.
Her time in Liverpool was often challenging and took in not only the Toxteth riots but the turbulent period between 1983 and 1987 when Militant played a leading role in the council's politics. On one occasion, when activists had blockaded her workplace, she and her boss, Kenneth Antcliffe, surreptitiously gained access to the first-floor education office in Sir Thomas Street by ladder.
Lynn was born in Great Clifton, Cumberland (now Cumbria), the daughter of a coal miner, Gordon, and Edie. Cockermouth grammar school provided Lynn with both the qualifications and the ambition to go to the University of Birmingham and to train as a teacher.
Her first post was at Ulverston grammar school, where she taught geography. Lecturing at a teachers' training college in the Midlands was her next move, and then came a completely new challenge in the early 1960s: to head a community school to be built under the umbrella of Netherley comprehensive school in Liverpool. It was at this new venture that she introduced family reading and writing classes, coaxing parents who could not read or write to sit in with pupils to learn basic literacy skills. In some cases this equipped them to go on to further and higher education.
Lynn's work became known to officials at Liverpool's education office, and she accepted the role of assistant director of education. She also served as a magistrate on the Cheshire bench for a number of years.
After taking early retirement from Liverpool in 1993, Lynn returned to Cumbria, where she busied herself with gardening and was heavily involved with the South Lakes University of the Third Age, sometimes taking administrative roles.
Lynn was a good singer and a fan of folk music, which was how we met in 1976: she had taken a holiday to watch me perform, with Bridie O'Donnell, in my folk duo Jackie and Bridie, on a tour of the US.
Lynn is survived by myself and by her sister Judith.