It is with great sadness that the passing of Violet Brand MBE has been announced

Tributes are being paid to Violet Brand MBE following her death at the age of 91. She died peacefully from natural causes during the evening of Saturday, April 4 at the nursing home where she had been a resident for several years. Violet’s husband Geoffrey had recently joined her at the home, enabling them to share time together.

Violet wanted to encourage all children to learn through the medium of reading and writing. She established the Watford Dyslexia Centre and was awarded the MBE in 2011 for her work in education. Violet was also very active teaching literacy through phonics and her spelling books remain widely used. In 2011 she received an Outstanding Lifetime Academic Achievement Award from the British Dyslexia Association.

Violet also made a huge contribution to the brass band world, co-editing British Bandsman with husband Geoffrey from 1967 to 1975. The couple collaborated as authors of Brass Bands in the 20th Century and attended many courses of the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, where she took an active part in residential proceedings.

Michael Brand, Violet’s son, said: “For each member of the family Violet was a special wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, who was loved and respected enormously by all of us. As well as her enriched family life Violet achieved an enormous amount in the brass band world in her own right as well as supporting Geoffrey as a musician. We are grateful for everything she gave us.”

You can read her Obituary here.