It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Catherine Peters (married name Catherine Storr) on Sunday 12th January, aged 94.
Catherine taught English Literature at the college between 1980 and 1991, and wrote notable literary biographies of Thackeray (Thackeray’s Universe: Shifting Worlds of Imagination and Reality, 1987) and Wilkie Collins (The King of Inventors: A Life of Wilkie Collins, 1992), as well as books on Dickens and Byron.
She graduated with the top first class degree in English Literature aged 50, in 1980, from St Hugh’s College. Daughter of literary agent A.D. Peters, who represented major writers such as Evelyn Waugh, she was married to psychiatrist Anthony Storr (Wadham and Green Templeton Colleges). An obituary written by her son, Matthew Barton, was published in The Guardian on 7 February, 2025.
Catherine’s family will hold a memorial in Somerville in late April to commemorate her life. Details will be put here when they are available, and invitations will be sent to those students reading English when she taught in College. For further information, please contact Jackie Watson (jacqueline.watson@some.ox.ac.uk).
She will also be remembered as part of this year’s College Commemoration Service, on Saturday 14th June, to which all alumni are invited.
The family have asked that anyone who remembers Catherine might consider donating to Marie Curie in her memory: https://catherinestorr.muchloved.com. She benefited hugely in her last years from night-time care from Marie Curie nurses.