Jill Humphrey (1 Mar 1961 - 31 Dec 2024)

In loving memory of Jill Humphrey who sadly passed away on 31st December 2024

Jill was born a proud 'Bolton bird', a daughter to Roy and Mavis and a baby sister to Susan. She always cherished the loving family environment she grew up in. She believed in love, loyalty and always doing the right thing. With a splash of Sauvignon Blanc, a good laugh and a great soundtrack to help things along.

Love: her husband Phil, his daughter Katy and their granddaughter Amélie, her own family near and wide, her friends, stray cats... She loved her travels too - particular favourites being 'an American Adventure' at just 21 with Susan, partying with Susan and her husband Ged, and her beloved mother, Mavis, in Burgau. More recently, she fell in love with the beautiful scenary and wonderful people in Fiskardo, on Kefalonia, where she married Phil in 2016. She loved just sitting in the sunshine, relaxing and people watching - especially those late for the ferry but trying not to run!

Loyalty: She left school to work for Yorkshire Bank at 16 and, in various roles and branches, remained there for her entire working life. She took great pride in treating everyone with the care and respect they deserved. If Jill liked you, she'd always do her best for you, if she didn"t, she'd do it anyway.

The rest: A surprisingly good singing voice and dry wit aside, she'll leave everything else to your imagination and, if you're really lucky, to your memories of her.

People usually saw only one of two distinctly different sides to Jill: the sleek, straight, blonde hair and focused professionalism of Jill at work or the flowing, curly blonde locks and laughter, and easy, chilled way of Jill at home. Few were lucky enough to see both.

Even fewer got to see Jill's incredible resilience, determination, strength and sheer bravery. Cruelly, just weeks after taking early retirement in 2020, Jill was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Throughout the following three and a half years of surgery, chemotherapy, radio therapy and yet more chemotherapy, Jill fought. She fought hard. Whatever the horrors, she faced everything the same way. "It is what it is," she'd say, "other people must go through this too." She simply didn't complain and only once did she ever admit to being scared.

A last holiday in Portugal became a month-long hospital stay, an air ambulance transfer and more time in hospital here. Again, all Jill wanted to do was praise everyone for their help and to go home. She was determined to spend one more Christmas at home, not in hospital. Again Jill's courage and determination, like her heart, were immense. She fought. She fought hard one last time. She got to spend her final Christmas with Phil, in her own home.

Those lucky enough to have seen any side of Jill, as husband, sister, mother, stepdaughter, granddaughter, colleague, friend, patient or just in passing, know our lives are all the richer.

Without you though, Jill, the world is indeed a poorer place.

Thank you for being you, Jill, now rest in peace. You've earned it