Carol Ann Edwards (29 Dec 1965 - 14 May 2019)

Thinking of all carols family and friends 1 year on. Debbie B x

These are messages from Carol's friends and colleagues from our message board at work:

Joanne Quinn
I have worked with Carol on a few teams over the years and I was delighted each time I knew we would be working together again. Without fail Carol would greet you with her lovely smile and a big hug -I never tired of receiving a hug from Carol. 
 
I also loved our chats about all things, work or personal, we always found something to giggle about and I’m not sure who led who astray when the conversation strayed into places it really shouldn’t. 
 
It truly was a pleasure to work with Carol and whenever you mentioned her name everyone who knew her, without fail, all said what a lovely, kind lady she was. Not only that, you could rely on Carol to get a job done, whatever the size of the task Carol delivered. She was conscientious and committed to doing a great job and will be sorely missed her all her colleagues and DWP. 
 
Carol has left quite a legacy, one that many of us will try to emulate I’m sure. 

Emma Betts
I have so many lovely memories of Carol. She was always there to listen and give good advice. She loved hearing stories about my daughter and her grandson is a similar age so we used to swap stories. We loved to talk about holidays and I always wanted to hear what adventure her and Trevor had planned next. I like to think she did it all because she always had something planned. I’m so glad she got to do her last adventure and go to China. I remember worrying and saying to Kerry that we hadn’t heard from her for a while or seen any Facebook posts when she was in China but then I was informed that there is no external Facebook. I was coming up with all sorts of scenarios in my head ha ha. The stories she came back with really did seem like they had a fab time.
 
She used to make me laugh because she loved internet shopping and she was always so glam. Often when she worked from home and we were on the phone she would say hold on that’s another delivery from Debenhams I’ve been shopping again ha ha. She had more hoovers than anyone I know!
 
Carol was such a kind and caring lady and a great friend, she always supported me in and out of work. If I had a bad day she would always send me a little text and it’s those little things you remember the most. She really will be missed.
 
We have a virtual pub on our team called The Winnie. We sometimes go on Fridays. Carol always ordered a G&T or an expresso Martini, she was very classy, Andy Ridgeway sometimes tried to lead her astray with a pint but she never budged ha ha. So I will be raising one of Carols favourite drinks at the weekend.

Amy Marfleet
Carol was my Manager on the team for quite a short time but I can honestly say that she is one of the most genuinely kind, warm and compassionate people that I have ever met.
 
From my very first meeting with Carol, she always greeted me with a big hug like an old friend. This is something she did with everyone on the team, much to our colleague Adi’s grumbles that he was not a hugger!………..but even he made an exception for Carol.
 
When you spoke to Carol, you knew that she was really listening and making time for you. She was always keen to ask about my daughters and spoke so fondly of her own husband, children and grandson. Carols love for her family radiated from her when she spoke of them and I loved to hear about her holidays and adventures.
 
Carol will be sadly missed and definitely not forgotten.

Bev Booth
Carol wasn’t my manager for very long, but we became good friends very quickly. She was generous to a fault, funny, vibrant and extremely sociable. Although she had a heck of a journey to get up to Sheffield she always made the effort and we had some great nights out. She would always text on her journey home to say ‘how lovely to see you’ and little things like that mean so much now. I’m proud to say that Carol was my friend and I miss her very much. At work she was always extremely supportive, not just about work but especially about domestic issues, as I have had a very difficult couple of years due to my dad having Alzheimer’s disease.
 
Carol taught me so much and I will carry her with me always. I have a mug at home that she bought me and it is one of my most treasured possessions; every time I have my special coffee I use it and smile when I remember all the happy memories of my friend Carol.

Shirley Harris
She was a very lovely lady, always smiling and always took time to come and say hello whenever she was in the office.

Kerry Brown
I reflect back on all my memories of Carol with fondness and love. As Carol’s line manager, I had conversations with her day in day out – however we never got fed up of picking up the phone and talking with each other. Some of the work conversations could be a bit tense or serious, but Carol always had the knack of turning it into something positive (always looking on the bright side!) and we’d leave our conversations full of energy and positive actions. The non-work chats were the best ones; we’d have a chat about what we’d been up to at the weekend or even better the holidays we were looking forward to. I loved hearing about Carol’s little trips or big holidays, she loved spending time with her family or friends and that always came across.

A proud memory I have of Carol was during a face to face team meeting. During an ice breaker session, we were asked to share what we felt was the best thing about our job. Some people talked about various aspects of the role, whereas Carol just said “my line manager”. I welled up at her response and felt so pleased and proud that that was me.

I really miss having Carol on our team, we all miss her dearly. We miss those Friday afternoon meet ups in our virtual (made up) pub, where she always had a pretend G&T or espresso martini. I especially miss her hugs – it was the only way to say hello or good-bye to Carol!

Stuart Cranswick
I remember talking to Carol by phone for quite a while before we met face to face. You never know what someone will be like in person but Carol was exactly what I expected; her warmth, kindness and helpful nature were clear in every dealing I ever had with her. Really sad news. Stu

Dave Peters
Carol was my manager for such a short time, but it felt longer, because she was so friendly and understanding making every day a joyous experience. Working with her was an absolute pleasure and her hugs were the best. Although I have moved on from the team, check the snug in the Winnie, I’ll be there raising a virtual glass to a wonderful lady.

Sue Thompson
Carol - My faraway friend. I met Carol at a NMT conference in Leeds the week before I joined the Impacting Team on May 12th 2014. Carol was my mentor and taught me everything I know about Impacting - our working styles were a bit different but she was brill and she never tired of my endless questions and her knowledge advice and her caring and supportive mentoring helped me settle quickly into my new role. I loved working with Carol for the two years on that team. After only a couple of weeks Carol and I become good work friends - it felt like we had known each other for years and we kept in touch outside of work too - although we worked in different offices, Carol Lowestoft and me in Nottingham we had many conversation about how it would be good to be in the same office and live closer to each other -and so I always called Carol My Faraway Friend. Whenever we were going to be in meetings together we always tried to make time for ourselves to catch up face to face, and when in HHS we would meet in Weatherspoon's for an early coffee before the meeting to catch up on non work things and whenever we were together Carol looked after me like a "big sister"

Over the time we were friends Carol and I would swap funny stories, we never had a conversation without laughing about something or other - one story that Carol told me, and one that has always made me think about her at least once a week since is when having all the family over for dinner Carol made the gravy which turned out lumpy, she had used the last granules, and with no time to go to the shop for replacement, she did no more than sieved the gravy! I - this makes me smile every time I remember it.

Carol was everything everyone has already said and more, generous, warm, loving and kind, always had a smile and a hug for everyone, and will be sadly missed by me and everyone else whose heart she touched.

Debs Lay
My lovely friend Carol,
We worked together for many years and then as you do, went our different ways in work but saying that we still used to bump into each other when she came to Sheffield.
Carol never changed, she always greeted you with a hug and that HUGE glowing smile which lit up her face.
We had many a natter, talking about 'all sorts' as women do and therefore many a laugh.
Carol will be a massive loss to a lot of people for many different reasons because she touched so many with her heart of gold.

We both had a connection with Norfolk and Great Yarmouth where Carol lived. All my life we have been having family holidays there.
Every year we still go and Carol would let me know anything new, places to eat or places to visit.
We always said that we would meet up at one of our favourite pubs, the Fisherman's Return at Winterton but we never managed it.
This year though Carol, when I go to the Fisherman's Return I will be having a large G&T with a toast to you for being such a wonderful woman.
Cheers Carol XX

Debra Allott
It’s a while since I worked with Carol but we have kept in touch through social media. She said she loved hearing about my adventures and I loved to see her so happy with her family, marrying Trevor and the adventures they all had.

When anyone thinks of Carol it is of her with a beaming smile – she literally lit up a room and was a joy to be around and to work with.

A funny story was when I went to Potters Leisure Resort near Carol’s home. I was being fitted into a harness between my legs by a very handsome strapping blond haired young man and about to go on a giant swing when the lad said – ‘you know my Mum Carol’. It was Max her son – ‘but how do you know it’s me’ I said. There were hundreds of folk at the resort – he never did tell but I can only assume Carol described me as a short, blonde, loud one! Made me chuckle .

Some folk you work with leave a lasting impression on you and Carol is one of those – beautiful inside and out.

Anne Hirst
WOW, I got quite a shock when I saw the lovely photo of Carol on her memory page. Firstly because I still can’t quite believe she has gone and secondly because it’s a photo that I took on our last trip to London. We’d been on a Thames cruise to St Katherine’s Dock and then went to a Turkish restaurant for lunch and wine (where the photo was taken) followed by a visit to a cocktail bar. We talked non-stop, drank too many espresso martinis and lost track of time. Needless to say Carol missed her train home and I did a good impression of Indiana Jones diving on to my train just as the doors were closing! It probably didn’t help that being slightly tipsy we’d stood on the wrong platform at Monument Tube station for 15 mins wondering why non of the tubes were going in our direction! We did have a fantastic day though and I will remember that day and our other visits to London always.
From a work perspective I met Carol several years ago when she was my mentor and taught me everything I knew about Impacting Change. She was an absolute pleasure to work with and we quickly became friends. When my husband was diagnosed with cancer in 2013 Carol was a fantastic support both in and out of work and just had an uncanny ability to know what to say to help me remain positive. I will really miss Carol for loads of reasons, she really was beautiful inside and out but am so pleased to have had her as my friend. Rest in Peace Carol xxx

Niki Burley
I will always remember Carol smiling, whenever she arrived in the Sheffield office she was smiling and never had a bad word. She always asked how you were and was genuinely interested in the answer.
Some years ago I had to attend a workshop at an office down south, I was a little nervous and wasn’t expecting to know anyone at all and to make matters worse, I got stuck in traffic, got lost (not a surprise to some people) and was very late. I walked into a room full of people feeling very ‘out of sorts’ and flustered only to be greeted by Carol, with a big hug and kind words, which instantly put me at my ease.
Losing Carol will be felt by many, she touched so many lives and the ripples of such a heart-breaking loss will be felt far and wide. She was simply the loveliest, kindest person and I will miss seeing her.

Rachel Curnow
I will always remember you Carol for being such a bubbly, kind hearted person. A true loss to the world.

Thinking of you all at this difficult time. Xx