A Celebration of the Life of Dame Mary Alison Glen Haig

On Wednesday the 24^th June, St Martin-in-the-Fields was the venue for a glorious celebration of the life of Mary Alison Glen Haig.

The event was attended by HRH The Princess Royal and many representatives from the large number of organisations that Dame Mary worked with and supported over her long career.

The Chair of British Fencing, David Teasdale, President of the Epee Club, Lawrence Burr and Chair of British Veterans Fencing, Gillian Aghajan, along with many notable members past and present attended to pay their respects. 

Tributes to Dame Mary were given by Georgina Usher, CEO of British Fencing, Sir Craig Reedie, IOC member, David Hemery, Vice Chair of the British Olympic Association and Geoff Thompson, CEO Youth Charter In Sport. 

Appropriately rousing hymns filled the church including Praise My Soul the King of Heaven, Fight the Good Fight and Jerusalem with readings from the family including Ephesians 6:10-18 and St James 3 13-18.

A selection of photos showing the richness of the life of Dame Mary was projected, accompanied by Dame Mary’s great niece playing Nimrod by Elgar on the clarinet.

The service captured both the spirit and the accomplishments of the life of one of our greatest fencers and many that knew Dame Mary personally commented on how much she would have enjoyed it.  And in the words of Maya Angelou, in the final reading by Alison Lowden, niece of Dame Mary: 

“Now you understand

Just why my head’s not bowed.

I don’t shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.

When you see me passing

It ought to make you proud.

I say,

It’s in the click of my heels,

The bend of my hair,

the palm of my hand,

The need of my care,

‘Cause I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.”

British Fencing would like to pass on its thanks to the family of Dame Mary and to the SRA for organising such a wonderful memorial.

A full text of the British Fencing tribute can be found here.