Juliette Austen-Chandler (nee Austen-Adams) OH 1983-1988
Wednesday 31 December 2025
Juliette died Peacefully surrounded by her loved ones at St Michael’s Hospice on 31st December 2025, aged 55 Beloved wife of Stuart. Loving and gorgeous Mum to Oliver and Lily, Stepmother & friend to Kate, Tom, Ruth and David. Beloved daughter of Kathy, father David (deceased) & stepfather Peter. Greatly loved sister & friend to Suki, David, Stephanie Mimi, William, Elisabeth, Helen & Andrew Funeral service will be at Hereford Cathedral on Tuesday 3rd February 2026 at 12.30pm followed by a private burial.Ju’s/Juliette’s request smart dress with a splash of colour & sparkle.Family flowers only however donations if desired for St Michael’s Hospice Hereford. All enquiries to Bayley Brothers, Cotterell St, Hereford, HR4 0HH. Tel: 01432 272465
.Tribute from Howard Tomlinson, Headmaster HCS, 1987-2005As the President of the OH Club has observed, Juliette was HCS 'through and through'. Re-reading Juliette's Valete notice in the 1988 Herefordian, it is hard to disagree: Deputy Head of School; Head of St John's (then the girls' boarding-house); School Monitor; Under-Officer in the CCF; Captain of the 1st XI hockey team; 1st XI netball and county player in both sports as well as athletics; and senior Victrix Ludorum in swimming. Beyond sport, Juliette's involvement in the venture scouts, the canoe club, and drama productions was also noted. No-one could have had a more distinguished school career than Juliette, and I was immensely fortunate that she became my first Head Girl.For service and community involvement were Juliette's watchwords through her life, as I again came to know when she returned to Hereford and joined the OH Club committee. She would have made a wonderful President but she refused my invitation – and those of others - to take up this office, preferring to act as vice-President instead. In this role, Juliette was involved in running the multifarious activities associated with the Club. Needless to say, she did this with insight, efficiency and grace.As I attempt to pay just tribute to one of my favourite former students, I remember small incidents that capture Juliette's love and humour: Her taking my arm as we left a dinner that she had arranged for the committee; her telling me (in jest), after seeing me several times in one day, to 'stop stalking' her; her shouting out, 'where's your high viz, Howard?', as I passed her on my bike.And as Juliette's name was read out by the intercessor as one of the sick whom we remembered Sunday by Sunday at the Cathedral Eucharist, I too prayed for her recovery from such a debilitating illness. It was not to be. But Juliette never lost her faith and her love for the cathedral where she had once been a server. The last time I saw her was as a member of the congregation at 'Aunty Mary's' funeral, which she had made a supreme effort to attend. And now we must face up to her own.Juliette has gone from among us long before her time, but I am comforted by the belief that she is now in a better world where (in Donne's words) 'there shall be no darkness nor dazzling but one equal music; no fears nor hopes but one equal possession; no ends nor beginnings but one equal eternity'.May I extend my deepest sympathies to Stuart, Oliver, Lily and Juliette's wider family on the loss of a special person who in her short life brought light to so many.