Gwendoline Rozier (18 Aug 1925 - 7 May 2017)

Gwen Rozier

Gwendoline May Scotney was born at Whitlesey near Peterborough on 18th August 1925 to Phyllis and Jack Scotney. As the eldest of 5 children she claimed that she spent most of her childhood looking after her sisters and brother. She regularly told of the times when aged about 16 she was sent out to take the youngest, John, for a walk in his pram and he was mistaken for her baby. She never did get on well with her mother but adored her father who could never do anything wrong in her eyes. Despite having to look after her siblings when younger she was always very fond of them and often talked about them in her later years.

After leaving school she trained as a dressmaker and it is thought that this is when she met her lifelong friend Mary Wakefield. During the war she spent the time making parachutes and often wondered how many lives that may have been saved by her parachutes in her contribution to the war effort.

In 1950 she married Cyril Everett although he was known to everyone as ‘Danny’. They had 2 children, Graeme in 1952 and Clive in 1954. Life was not easy in the early 50’s and they lived in a large house in Peterborough with her mother-in-law and sister-in-law’s family.

Eventually they managed to get a council house in Sycamore Avenue, Peterborough near a school and the Technical College when Danny was training to become a teacher

In 1960 Danny became a teacher of Mechanical Engineering at a Technical College in Crawley, Sussex. They moved to another council house, bought a car, and regularly travelled back to Peterborough to see family.

1962 saw another move, this time to Ipswich where Danny got a job as Lecturer at the local Civic College. For some time there was a family debate about whether the move should be to Australia on the £10 ticket which was being offered at the time but Gwen did not want to move that far away from her family.

Within a year Danny became seriously ill and he died in 1964. Gwen was left a widow at 39 with 2 young sons to look after. Fortunately they had bought the house they were living in so the insurance paid that off. However, she found it impossible to live on a widow’s pension and started working, first as a Doctor’s Receptionist and eventually as a Ward Clerk at the hospital. Her dressmaking skills helped at the time, she made as many clothes as she could to save money. One of the most difficult things she had to do at this time was to approach the headmasters at the schools the boys were attending to ask for help to buy the school uniforms.

In the spare time she had she joined a local badminton club and made many friends there despite not really being a sporty person but this obviously helped take her mind off her money worries.

Some 4 years later she met and married a widower, Gordon Rozier. They sold their houses and bought one between them in Sidegate Lane, Ipswich. After 2 years moving to another house in Colchester Road. They began to take coach trips, several each year throughout the UK and then into Europe which she really enjoyed.

Gwen had always kept her gardens tidy but Gordon was a very keen gardener and Gwen soon became as enthusiastic as he was. They moved to a bungalow with a large garden and greenhouses and became obsessed with Fuchsias even to the extent of joining the local Fuchsia Fellowship and exhibiting successfully the plant they had grown. Eventually they turned to Pelargoniums and had 2 greenhouses full of these plants.

It always seemed that Gwen had only to touch a plant and it would grow, taking cuttings from the most unlikely plants and it would always sprout. She was very fond of cutting hard shrubs and plants but they would usually come back stronger and better than before!

In 1982 Gwen was struck down with a blood clot on her brain, this was successfully removed at a hospital in London at the end of August. The nurses woke her up from the operation with the words “Hello Grandma” her first grandchild had been born that day!

For the next 20 years or so it was probably the happiest time of her life. She loved being Grandma to her 4 grandchildren and liked nothing better than getting down on her hands and knees and playing with them. She was usually the noisiest of them all. Add to this one of the dogs which they had and the neighbours must have wondered what was going on.

Unfortunately Gordon became ill and the difficult but necessary decision was made to move out of there unsuitable house into sheltered accommodation where they both had 24/7 care. Within a year Gordon died and Gwen was left a widow again. Losing her husband, the dogs and her garden must have been hard for her but she tried not to show it but the slow decline began.

It is not for the last few years we will remember her, but we will remember her as the caring mother, the perfect grandma, the dog lover and the gardener that had been for most of her life.

John Scotney (Brother)

When Gwen was working at a local company, think it was Baker Perkins, she joined their dramatic society, as a result of this she got a part in a professional act as a magicians assistant, the Magician called Ali Ba then offered her a job travelling with him at various venues around the Country. He came to our house to ask permission from our parents and was told in no uncertain terms that was not going to happen. I understand she was devastated. I was taken to see the act and do vaguely remember it.
She was at the time made a member of the Magic Circle and from that day she never revealed how the act was done!

Amanda and Tom (Grandchildren)

In the final few weeks of Grandmas life she became a Great Grandmother for the first time and would of been for the second time in July. Sadly she did not get the opportunity to meet Lily-Ella but both Great-Grandchildren will be brought up knowing the fond memories we all share of Grandma.

We shared some great memories with Grandma that we will cherish forever. We will remember the many games of Croquet played in her garden as well as helping her water her plants. We will also remember the many games of table tennis played on her dining table, walks to the park and trips to the pantomime.