Maureen Donnelly 1949-2021

Michael Clemitson, of Prospect’s Retired Members’ Group, pays tribute to Maureen Donnelly who has sadly passed away.

Many from the RMG, and perhaps some older members too, will remember Maureen Donnelly, who has sadly passed away earlier this year, after a short illness.

Maureen Donnelly

In the 1970s and 80s, as a representative of the London Telecoms Regional branch, Maureen was a member of the SPOE (Society of Post Office Executives), and later the STE (Society of Telecom Executives), two of the many predecessors of Prospect.

Regulars at the Annual Conference of those days will remember, when at the microphone, Maureen invariably made her point with a pleasant sort-of militancy, and with a touch of humour, which made sure the point was registered, and well understood.

On one well remembered occasion at an after-conference dinner, she also took a leading part in a sketch based on the well-known Two Ronnies and John Cleese “I look up to him, but I look down on him” sketch. The script as adapted for the occasion was a little risqué, so I won’t repeat it here, but it showed what a rounded and personable personality she was.

Whilst at BT, one of the posts she held involved the setting up of Prestel, an early ‘modern’ development of the 1980s, which allowed TV sets to be connected, internet-style, to computer networks. It sounds old hat now but was cutting-edge stuff at the time.

Some years later on leaving BT, after a spell at COLT telecommunications, she re-located to Cambridge, subsequently setting up the Manet telecoms company. Throughout this time, she remained connected with the Labour movement, and later became Chair of Cambridge Labour.

She is survived by her partner, Robert, and son Brendan, to whom we send our condolences.  May she rest in peace.