Angela Pengilley — February 14, 1947 – November 19, 2024

ANGELA Marion Pengilley, née Sale, was born in a blizzard in Aylesbury on February 14 — a Valentine Girl.

She was the daughter of Herbert and Eileen Sale and younger sister to Joan. Though born in Aylesbury, the family moved to Henley before Angela was one, so she was really a Henley girl.

From the age of three Angela was besotted with the piano, playing the edges of tables and chairs but she had to wait until she was seven before her parents could afford to buy her one.

The music theme carried on throughout her life, starting from Henley Infant School, Henley Trinity Primary School and Henley Grammar School, where she won many of the music prizes.

Then she went to the Trinity College of Music, studying piano, cello and music education and then to Homerton College, Cambridge, for a certificate in music education. Finally, in 1996, Angela completed a masters in music education at Reading University.

Around the age of five, Angela met David Pengilley and for the next 14 years they would follow the same path through Henley schools and were invariably in the same class, until the later years.

They went their separate ways in further education but fate had already decided their path and in August 1970 Angela and David were married in St Nicholas Church in Rotherfield Greys. By then Angela was teaching music at Bulmershe School in Reading but she started her married life living in Watford and teaching at Watford Girls’ Grammar School.

In 1972 David joined the Royal Air Force and Angela’s career was interrupted. Their life was further interrupted by the birth of Zelah, their daughter, in 1974 and Gemma in 1975. After eight years in Lincolnshire, the family moved to Salisbury, Wiltshire.

Throughout this period Angela had kept her hand in with occasional supply music teaching but, with the girls established in primary education, Angela eased herself into peripatetic cello and piano teaching and, eventually, full-time music teaching at Salisbury’s South Wilts Girls’ Grammar School. In 1988 the family moved back to Henley and, literally on moving day, Trinity Primary School advertised for a part time music specialist: serendipity. This post morphed into Angela becoming a full-time class teacher but her desire to be a music specialist prompted a move to St Mary’s Preparatory School.

Angela retired in 2007 but, ever active, she volunteered in the Cancer Research shop in Henley and almost immediately became the full-time job-share manager. Angela finally retired in 2012.

Angela was the devoted “Grangie” to Dulcie, Bethan and Lucas, her three grandchildren. Very active in supporting their early years, nothing pleased her more than getting involved in and encouraging their art, music and other projects, even if she found it hard to empathise with Lucas’s devotion to football.

Not content with being a mother, grandmother and teacher, Angela filled her life with music making.

She played cello in Reading Youth and Symphony Orchestras as well as Watford, Lincoln and Salisbury orchestras. She played regular chamber music in Lincoln and Salisbury and was a founder member of the Salisbury Early Music Society. For a brief period in Salisbury, she was the pianist in the professional Damian String Trio.

Just before Angela left Salisbury she was co-opted as rehearsal and then show pianist for Salisbury Amateur Operatic Society.

Angela’s joie de vivre e meant that she fitted in very well with the, perhaps more outgoing, amateur operatics compared with the sometimes-staid orchestral life.

Shortly after returning to Henley she found herself involved with Henley Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society (HAODS), Kenton Theatre productions and the Henley Players. Over 20 years she musically directed, acted in or accompanied around nearly 30 shows. She then retired to specialise in props for Henley Players and, for the last 10 years, being their treasurer.

In quiet moments she put on several musical shows for Trinity Primary School and St Mary’s Preparatory School and was the music consultant for Jill Richardson’s Jeu d’Esprit productions.

In the gaps between shows Angela like to travel and cycled in France, Vietnam and Cuba as well as the London-to-Brighton ride; trekked in Patagonia; sought out the wildlife in the Galapagos and Costa Rica and visited too many temples in Sri Lanka and South East Asia.

Angela was often the motivating force behind 30 years of New Year’s walking with a close group of friends.

She also loved art and the theatre. She was an enthusiastic member of Henley Art and Crafts Guild and the leader of “Pengilley Tours”, organising theatre trips to London and elsewhere.

In early 2024 Angela was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer but decided to decline any chemotherapy. Ever determined, she beat all of the predictions but sadly died on Friday, November 29.