Kathleen Stamper (19 Sep 1925 - 2 Jul 2026)

Kathleen Stamper (née Hind)

Kathleen was the daughter of Clara Wigfield and Roland Charles Hind, who married in 1909. She was the youngest of four children, after Nora, May, and Roland Maurice, and was born on 19 September 1925 on Sedgley Avenue in Sneinton, Nottingham

She died peacefully on 2 July 2026 in Bakersfield, Nottingham, aged nearly 101.

Kathleen went to Edale School in Sneinton Dale and left at age 14, as her parents couldn't afford to let her finish her schooling.

Kathleen registered with the Employment Exchange for 'Junior' work. She started work in a factory office off Shakespeare Street in Nottingham, which manufactured camouflage nets and mosquito nets for the troops. Kathleen stayed in this role until the end of the Second World War

In 1945 Kathleen undertook secretarial training at a typing college just off Long Row in Nottingham. Shortly afterwards, she commenced work at the Nottingham Tax Office.

She met Alan at the Inland Revenue in 1946. They married in 1951 at St Giles Church in West Bridgford and moved into lodgings together in Boston, Lincolnshire, where they were both working full time at the tax office.

They found it very hard to make ends meet and left Boston to return to Nottingham, to live with her parents in Sneinton. Kathleen remained at the Inland Revenue until she was expecting her first child, Paul, in 1960.

They moved into their own home on Douglas Avenue before Paul was born.

Valerie was born in 1965, and the family lived on Douglas Avenue until 1996, by which time the children had long left home. Kathleen and Alan then moved to a beautiful bungalow on Frederick Avenue, where they stayed until Alan's death in May 2010. Kathleen continued to live on Frederick Avenue for another 12 years, until she needed additional support and moved into The Conifers Rest Home in Bakersfield. Her final five years were spent happily being cared for by the wonderful team at The Conifers.

During Kathleen's life, she worked part-time in her sister's butcher shop on Sneinton Boulevard, and later became a medical administrator at Sneinton Health Centre.

She was a regular churchgoer, attending services at St John's and later St Peter's, and became a long-term Friend of the Dales United Reform Church.

Kathleen and Alan were heavily involved in the Silver Wheel motoring club, and she was an active member of the Women's Institute. In later life she joined the U3A and throughout her life was a keen participant in Swing into Shape and local keep-fit groups.

Both Kathleen and Alan were passionate gardeners and maintained beautiful gardens in each of their homes.

Her first international holiday was with her sister, to Majorca, but most holidays were local to the east coast. In later life, however, Kathleen and Alan enjoyed coach holidays in the UK, and more distant holidays to New Zealand and Australia to visit Val and her young family. Kathleen also visited New Zealand and Australia on her own, her last independent flight at the age of 89.

Kathleen adored her grandson Jake, meeting him for the first time when he was nine weeks old. Despite the long distance between them, they maintained a very close relationship right until the end, sharing a love of music, singing, and banter.

Kathleen lived a long and contented life. She loved her homes, she loved her family, and she was well loved in return.