Eulogy: Our mum Jackie was born in Fareham, Hampshire on 28th April 1941, which was a Monday (mum always liked to discuss the specific days as apparently Monday and Thursday were particularly common for being born in our wider family).
For more information about her life growing up, please read a “Girl With a Suitcase”, her first book in the trilogy of autobiographies. Being sent away to residential school at the age of 6 must have been particularly hard, as well as being separated from her two sisters. How immensely proud am I that mum wrote three excellent books about her life and published them. All typed up on a laptop and now in print. Available to purchase on Amazon and a copy can be taken out or requested from the library in the local area. Not many people can say that about their mum.
Mum was a mother to 4 children, 6 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. She was head of the family.
Unless mum told me bits of her life growing up and later adult life, I wouldn’t have known or been aware of past heartache and challenges. Mum taught me many core principles and important life lessons that I try my best to adhere to in my life. Her love of English language and literature influenced me to do well in this area. I studied history at university, another subject she loved to learn about. She influenced me in so many positive ways, it is impossible to remember and list them all. My love of tennis, amateur dramatics, journalism, languages and scrabble were all a direct result of mum’s interests. When my children used to visit their grandparents house, lego was a popular toy but in recent years Jamie would torture his granny with games of monopoly and scrabble too!
Her general love of sport rubbed off on me - I haven’t been able to fulfil her achievements in athletics though, I believe she was high jump champion at her school as a teenager. I gave tennis a good go – but when watching me play, she was always more nervous than I was – some matches she couldn’t watch me as she was either looking more stressed than I was, or giving some Judy Murray-esque fist clenches if I won an important point. She always made sure I attended tournaments, some were quite far away – I know how much collective effort and commitment that takes so thank you.
Mum loved her decorative antique or just general ceramic collections – I will never forget when I booted the ball indoors and honestly, I have never made such a good connection with a spherical object. Of course, it flew bullseye into the blue and white round plate, the pride of joy, smashing it instantly. I don’t think it had much monetary value but was sentimentally a favourite on display – I knew I was bang in trouble for that one.
Everyone had different relationships and interactions with mum but I think the one common denominator would be the light conversation over a spot of lunch or food and of course always taking an interest in what others have been getting up to. I will cherish these moments forever. I am also really pleased that we managed to celebrate her delayed 80th birthday together, that day was such a happy memory for mum, me and all who attended.
I am truly grateful for everything she did for me growing up and in adult life. She would always go out of her way to try and help out where she could. She tried and succeeded at many jobs and hobbies in her life. Still cannot believe she took GCSE sociology and history as a “hobby” when she was working and mum to me when I was growing up. A respectable B in both cases too.
Mum has managed to share many of her interesting life stories across the three books so shameless plug but I would encourage everyone to read her written word, as that was ultimately what she always wanted – for as many people as possible to read them.
And finally, I have a book extract from the final chapter in her final book “A Girl Finds a Butterfly” which I feel provides a suitable summary. “Never look back. People say you shouldn’t, but I do. Je ne regrette rien, but with gratitude I realise what a privilege God has given me – an interesting and varied life. Yes, some times were hard, but the happy times have outweighed the sad.” Smile though your heart is aching.
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