14 September 2007

Gone

There I was at work - gone 6pm - examining data, preparing for a difficult meeting about exam results. I ended up deciding to attach the document I was working on to an email that I could catch up on later. That was when I spotted another email from my daughter marked "URGENT". "Dad phone home NOW. Grandma is seriously ill and they want you to go over." It was timed at17.23. I phoned home but it was too late. My mother was already dead.


She was born on May 24th 1921. She grew up in dire poverty, abandoned by her parents and spent her formative years with her grandparents - even taking their surname - White instead of her registered surname - Jackson. The war came and she signed up, joining the WAAF (Women's Airforce). She was posted to India where she met my father who she married just after the war in Delhi in 1945.

They came home to England where she had four sons and became the wife of a village headmaster. All her life she was an expert craftswoman making lampshades and gloves, baskets and eiderdowns. She even taught "mixed crafts" and I remember so many nights when she was up late beavering away beneath a lamp.

Her name was Doreen. Tomorrow I must drive over to Beverley and arrange her funeral. Pick up the death certificate etc.. She was a woman who lived a full life. In her seventies she travelled back to India after a Round-the-World trip that took her to Vancouver and Sydney, Auckland and Singapore. She's gone and of course I will never forget her. I loved her. I am so pleased that the kids - Ian and Frances came over to see her with Shirley and I (like that Demob Happy?) a week last Sunday. She was eighty six years old and she was a very special lady - far far more special than Diana Spencer of whom Prince Harry said "She was the best mum in the world". He was so wrong.

21 comments:

  1. Sincere condolences Yorkshire Pudding. And as is traditional in my culture, wishing you long life.

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  2. Anonymous8:40 am

    Very sorry to hear of your loss x

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  3. I'm so sorry. She was fortunate to have such a loving family who fully appreciated how lucky they were to have her as one of their own.

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  4. "If mums were flowers, I'd pick you!"

    Sorry mate, I pass on my thanks to your mum for the fantastic Yorkshire Pudding legacy we have been graced with.

    FoX

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  5. It sounds from your post as though she was fine until yesterday, which is what we all hope for, isn't it? Much harder on you, as you had no time to prepare. Take care.

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  6. terribly sorry to hear about your mother YP. You've written about her before and she sounds like a remarkable person.

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  7. So sorry. Please accept my consolences.

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  8. Anonymous2:14 am

    I'm so sorry Yorkie. Please know you're in my thoughts right now :(

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  9. I am so sorry, YP.

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  10. Anonymous3:14 pm

    I wish you my sincere condolences on your loss, your mum sounds like she a decent and wonderful person, i am sorry to hear of your bad news.

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  11. So sorry, but how she must be smiling at such a wonderful obituary. Thank you for sharing the memory of her with us.
    Condolences to you all.

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  12. I'm so sorry Pudding Man, most of us I suppose think that their mom's are special, but your mom really does sound special.

    Peace be with you and your family.

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  13. Please accept my condolences on your loss.

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  14. BLOGGING FRIENDS - Your kind thoughts and supportive remarks brought tears to my eyes. I thank you all.

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  15. So sorry to hear about the loss of your Mum. We seldom appreciate them until they are no longer there. Chin up, mate.
    Why didn't your daughter ring you?

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  16. Sorry for your loss YP.

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  17. I am so sorry to hear about your mum, YP. (I am only just catching up on blogs.) Hopefully, from what I can tell from your post, she didn't have a long illness, which is good.

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  18. So sorry for the sad news YP. My condolences.

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  19. I'm thinking of you YP. Chin up.

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Mr Pudding welcomes all genuine comments - even those with which he disagrees. However, puerile or abusive comments from anonymous contributors will continue to be given the short shrift they deserve. Any spam comments that get through Google/Blogger defences will also be quickly deleted.

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