Jean Swain (29 Sep 1937 - 21 Jan 2022)

In loving memory of Jean Swain who sadly and suddenly passed away on 21st January 2022 aged 84.

Immediate Family flowers only, donations to British Heart Foundation via Donate Now/Just Giving

Born in 1937, Jean was one of 5 children. At the age of nearly 3, Jean was diagnosed with polio which affected her leg. It made her a strong determined person who took life as it came, she didn’t let anything get in her way and nothing ever got her down. She would say “there’s no such thing as can’t, just get on with it”.

Sewing, knitting, crocheting, and listening to music were her hobbies from being young and she started work as a sewing machinist after leaving school where she met many life long friends.

After meeting Gordon, they married, and 5 children were born.

Jean was now a housewife and Mum, supported all the way in raising 5 of us by Dad. Mum continued to sew and knit and in later years she took up cross stitch and jigsaws. In Mums words, “if you don’t use it, you lose it” so she made sure her brain was never left idle for a minute, she was always on the go doing something, and if not doing something for herself, she would be doing something for others.

Loving Christmas time at home and with the help of Dad, the house and garden would be decorated with 1000's of fairy lights and she loved it. Mum was a big fan of Snooker, sitting watching tournaments with her pet Cockatoo on her shoulder, Charlie.

Mum took great pride in her garden, it was always full of flowers which she grew from seed and she planted up several hanging baskets every single year. The lawns were kept immaculate, and amongst the flowers, the garden railway and the miniature houses dad built lived her collection of garden gnomes. Mum always looked quite happy and excited when it was time to freshen them up, lining them up in the garage or her sewing room and painting them back to life. Her garden gave her a lot of pleasure when she sat at the kitchen table with a cup of tea. A garden full of colour and life.

With an infectious laugh, more often than not brought on by Dad, it was either something he said or did which made her laugh. She would tell the story about what she was laughing at or why she was laughing which made her laugh even more. You couldn’t help but join in the laughter.

She thought the world of her grandchildren who themselves carry on the determination mum has passed on down to them and she was so happy when they made her a Great Grandma

A true inspiration to all who knew her and she enriched so many lives, she was gentle, loving, caring, kind, considerate and funny. A beautiful lady inside and out, always a giver and never a taker. They say one in a million, she was one in a trillion as a wife, a mum, a mamma and great-mamma xx

You will be greatly missed by all of us but the memories will stay to treasure xx

Wife of Gordon, Mum to Diane, David, Richard, Andrew and Nigel. Mum-in-law to Jim, Jane, Sharon, Sue and Maria. Mamma to Charlotte, Elizabeth and Andrew and partners, Tom, Hannah and Alex and partners, Isabelle and Jack, & Emily. Great Mamma to Poppy, Francesca, Georgie and Harry and the rest of the family.