Anna Henchliffe (4 Jul 1944 - 13 Jun 2023)

In loving memory of Anna Henchliffe who sadly passed away on 13th June 2023

Eulogy

The following is a short account of my life( though Paul was the joker, so no jokes- sorry!)

The accent on being so blessed with my life from start to finish! ( Well, not quite finish), but quite happy!

Fleeing Poland, aged 2, in 1946 with my Mum and older sister Inge, aged 6, with the help of the red cross, across Europe to England, not speaking a word of English when I started school. I had many wonderful places of work, including the airport, Royal Crown Derby, RAM FM, being an orthopaedic secretary at the hospital (such a hard time deciphering the doctor's dictation for typing), and Ashley Adams Estate Agents. I still have a passion for wanting to renovate properties!

I married my wonderful husband,Paul in 1965 and was blessed with two lovely daughters, Paula and Nina, and three gorgeous grandchildren,Molly Robbie and Charlie.

Paul and I had a wonderful marriage, of course with some ups and downs,but we were very fortunate in being able to accomplish many things together as a family,especially travelling around Europe on our campervan and visiting my birth town, Cieszyn in Poland.

Paul's unexpected death in 2015, a few months before our fiftieth wedding anniversary was shattering for us all and I found I was most content spending time in the garage and garden as an escape. I am a dab- hand using hammers and drills, etc. I love renovating things,and spraying cast-offs. My last project was spraying a lovely metal garden chair, after getting it welded, and sprayed it a gorgeous blue.

My Christian faith in particular, helped me most during this time. Taking the children travelling in one of our prized Jaguars to the south of France. I also travelled to Lourdes all on my own, an unique experience.

There have been many times I wished I had been a better sister, daughter, wife, mother, grandmother and aunty. I have always loved them unconditionally with all my heart. Paul and I have been blessed also with many friends, keeping in touch with most, over sixty five years. I have also been extremely grateful to have made many new friends, since Paul's passing, who are very dear to me and who have helped me enormously during my widowhood years.

The closing phase of my life can't, by any stretch of the imagination, be considered as welcoming ( as I changed my outlook after a lot of thought on receiving my diagnosis), but after such a blessed life, it was always inevitably going to end sometime.

Many loving memories of you all
Anna- God bless.