Sadly I lost my dear Mum today after a short illness. My sister, brother & myself had prepared ourselves for the worst and have been at her bedside over the last week.
Mum was born in Wickford, Essex on 1st August 1928 - the youngest of four children. During the 2nd World War she worked as a Land Girl on a local farm. It was after the war when she was working for Bata Shoe Company in Laindon, Essex where she met my father Eddie who, back then, was her manager.
They married in 1949 and had four children of which I was the youngest born in 1970. We tragically lost my brother David in 1974 and three years later we lost our father. Mum had to carry on - I was only seven years old and we also had a family business with two shoe shops in Wickford & Maldon Essex named 'Paul David Shoes' (named in memory of my brother David).
Mum never re-married but did have a long-term partner, Fred, who sadly passed away a few years ago.
In 1994 mum suffered a severe brain hemorrhage and had to undergo a life saving operation. She was unresponsive for weeks afterwards and had to slowly learn to walk and speak again. But she did amaze us by her miraculous recovery and one year later she was able to attend my wedding.
Mum has five grandchildren in all, two of them supplied by my wife & myself, and this month her first great grandchild was born, a little girl called Madison (this also makes me a great uncle). Ironically the day she was to see Madison for the first time was the day she was admitted to hospital just over a week ago.
Mum was an intensely loving person, sometimes very demanding and stubborn (as older people can be) but above all she was very loving and that is how we will remember her.
We miss you mum & will always love you.
xx
