Margaret Eva Pearce (21 Nov 1926 - 15 Jan 2021)

Margaret was born in Folkestone, Kent on the 21st November 1926 to Richard and Eva, Emily Spicer. She was christened Marguerite Eva Elizabeth, but was later also known as Margaret, Margie, Marge, Maggie, Eva and ‘Cinders’!

Her mother died when Margaret was 11 years old and just a few years later, after war had broken out, she was evacuated to Wales, along with her brother Ron and many other young children.

When Margaret and Ron returned from Wales they went initially to live with ‘Auntie Bessie’, the next door neighbour in Folkestone who had helped to look after them when their Mum died and who had since moved to Warsop in Nottinghamshire. Margaret and Ron returned to Folkestone for a while to live with their Dad and his new wife and children and Margaret became especially close to her step-sister May and later her family.

However, at 17 years old Margaret moved back to Nottingham where she lived with Bessie’s younger sister Joyce and her young son Alan. They became lifelong friends. Over the years, Margaret was effectively adopted by Joyce’s family, who affectionately knew her as ‘Cinders’ because she was always busy helping out in one way or another.

In her 20’s, Margaret met her husband Tom and they had four children together – Brian, Colin, Sue and Adrian. They moved to Cornwall with their four young children in the 1960’s and this became home until Tom died. They had a wonderful life in Cornwall and their home was ‘open house’ to many visitors. When Tom died, Margaret was devastated and made the difficult decision to leave Cornwall, moving first to Devon to stay with her brother Ron and his wife Hazel and then back to Nottingham, where she was supported by Sue, her niece Josie, her friend Joyce and their respective families, along with many others.

Margaret was all about family and friends. When she was not travelling around the country usually by public transport visiting family and friends, she was always helping others, such as visiting the elderly relatives and friends, until well into her eighties when she herself became less mobile and unwell with cancer (which she fought off bravely for years, but it finally claimed her on the 15th January 2021).

Margaret will be greatly missed by her sons and daughter, grandchildren and great grandchildren, brother and family, niece and family, cousins and the rest of her ‘adopted’ families and friends, all of whom who have so many treasured memories of her.