It is with great sadness that Clare Hall shares the news of the death of Dr Roberta ‘Bobbie’ Wells, who passed away on Friday 14 August 2026.

Dr Wells was an Emeritus Fellow of Clare Hall and served as Senior Tutor from 2001 until her retirement in 2012. During more than a decade at the College, she played an important role in the lives of generations of Clare Hall students and was known for her warmth, good humour and straightforward approach, as well as her commitment to maintaining high academic standards while supporting students through difficult circumstances.

Before coming to Clare Hall, Dr Wells had a varied career in teaching and higher education. She began as a teacher of English and History in secondary schools in Liverpool and the Lake District, before working for the British Council in Baghdad and later at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Her experience of teaching adults from a wide range of cultural backgrounds gave her a particular understanding of the challenges faced by international students.

After taking time away from her career to raise a family, Dr Wells returned to teaching humanities at Swavesey Village College. She later completed an MA at the University of Bradford, specialising in Women’s Studies, followed by a PhD at Cambridge, at New Hall and the Faculty of Education, in the History of Education.

From 1993 to 2003, she was a Senior Lecturer in History and the History of Education at Homerton College, Cambridge, where she also served as a College Tutor, advising and supporting undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The College’s egalitarian ethos, particularly the close interaction between students and Fellows, was something she valued deeply. During her time at Clare Hall, she became a much-respected member of the community, remembered both for the care she showed to individual students and for the energy and character she brought to College life.

Following her retirement in 2012, Dr Wells planned to devote more time to her research interests, which included women artists of the First World War.

Clare Hall remembers Dr Wells with great affection and gratitude for her many years of service to the College. We extend our sincere condolences to her family, friends, former colleagues and all those who knew her.

Funeral arrangements will be shared with members once they are known.