Margaret Hamilton Reid; MARGARET HAMILTON Reid, who has died aged 97, was a feminist before her time. She achieved a number of firsts for a woman, displaying qualities of determination and self-confidence that saw her rise to the top in a male-dominated world.
She was both feisty and immensely generous in her support of many causes.
She was born in 1912, and one of her first memories was being held up at the bedroom window to see the fires raging over O'Connell Street, Dublin, in 1916. Her whole working life was given to Switzer & Co, the Grafton Street department store which her grandfather, John Hamilton Reid, co-founded in about 1850 with Messrs Switzer and Moore, because he felt that his directorship of the Royal Bank of Ireland did not allow him much room to use his initiative - a far cry from recent banking practice.
An only child, she was taken by the family chauffeur at 15 years of age, in school uniform and bonnet, to attend her first Switzers agm. She was elected to the board of the company at a young age. After proving her worth in the face of male obstinacy, she was made chairman in her early 40s - the first woman to be chairman of a publicly quoted Irish company. She was sufficiently self-confident to be chairman, as opposed to chairperson.
She earned respect in business and was known as a formidable lady. During her term of office, Switzers Group expanded from Grafton Street to include Cashs of Cork, Todds of Limerick, Moons of Galway and, for a short time. Switzers of Henry Street. She continued as chairman of the company from 1956 until a full takeover by Waterford Glass in 1972.
She believed staunchly in practising the highest business ethics. One Switzers rule was to never stock anything which might be "detrimental to humankind", and the company observed the mantra: "The sale you know is genuine."
Margaret Hamilton Reid always resolved to conduct business in such a way that the company's books could be put on the communion table.
She had many interests outside the business. She was a Girl Guide for 83 years. As a young guide, in 1950, she acted as aide de camp to Lady Baden-Powell, the World Chief Guide, when she visited Ireland for the official opening of the Baden-Powell Memorial Cottage in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow.
For 14 years she was an international commissioner representing Ireland at world conferences in Holland, Greece, Denmark and Japan.
She was also an elder of Abbey Presbyterian Church for 46 years. She was on the general board of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, was a trustee of the church and was a member of the Inter-church Relations Board.
She was greatly involved in the Young Women's Christian Association, where she was a member, and sometime chairman, of the Trust Corporation, president of the YWCA of Ireland, and later an honorary life member.
She loved life in the fast lane and drove a Jensen Interceptor at a time when there were only three in the country. It did just eight miles to the gallon and had little enough room for more than one passenger - so she downgraded to a Jaguar.
When asked whether there was anything she regretted in life she answered: "Yes, I never drove a Formula 1."
Two years ago she was photographed astride a Garda motor-bike outside the RDS. She renewed her driving licence at the age of 97 for a three-year period, and delighted in the achievement with a mischievous smile.
She was interested in the environment and conservation, and was on the board of Gurteen Agricultural College for a while.
One of her passions was sailing. She was the first woman committee member of the Royal Alfred Yacht Club, and the first lady member of the Royal St George Yacht Club. She always followed the rugby internationals, and attended an international in Croke Park at age 96.
She was a keen ecumenist. She was a founder member of the Irish School of Ecumenics, which has an emphasis on dialogue, peace and reconciliation, and was a trustee for nearly 40 years. She was evangelical at heart and ecumenical in practice, and did all she could to promote the work of the school.
Her home in Rathgar, built for her grandfather in about 1880, was always open for receiving visitors, among whom she could name Cliff Richard, evangelist Dr Billy Graham, and Chuck Colson of Watergate fame (later the founder of Prison Fellowship).
In later years she entertained young people and took a keen interest in making introductions and following their development. Once she took a bunch of teenagers to Dancing on Ice and then brought them back to the house, where she served pizzas on fine bone china.
Latterly she also supported a refugee family from Kosovo, and saw them established as Irish citizens.
Her long life enabled her to know six generations of her nearest family cousins.
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Margaret Hamilton Reid: born October 9th 1912; died April 11th 2010