Ann had a stroke on 4th Jan 2009 and died peacefully on Saturday 7th Feb 2009
There was a funeral service and committal at Cambridge crematorium at 3.15pm on Friday 20th February followed by a memorial service in St. Laurence's Church in Foxton at 4.30pm. This was followed by a buffet in the village hall.
Thanks to all who managed to get to the funeral service despite the traffic problems and to all those who attended the memorial service. Especially thanks to those who organised and contributed towards the gathering after - staggeringly impressive!
Thanks too to all those who sent cards and offered help and support to all of us.
And to those that made a donation to the Stroke Association instead of sending flowers, hopefully these will help others.
The Stroke Association tell me that donations of £715 were received - thanks to you all.
Ann's ashes were scattered by Ian, Owen and Emily on 21st March on a bright but windy day at about SD 818 828 just N of the Pennine Way above Cam Pasture SW of Dodds Fell Hill. Divided between Wharfedale and Wensleydale. (Google Aerial picture).
It was about 85m from the wall to the west and about 30m from the wall to the south.
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Funeral Service sheet(221kb pdf) Memorial Service sheet(215kb pdf)
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For some reason I was asked to give the text of my tribute at the funeral service, so here it is -
the first paragragh was intended to be read to the listener with their eyes shut very slowly .....
Before I start I'd like everyone to take a moment to remember one happy meeting with Ann.
Think of the surroundings,
a room,
a field,
a beach,
a church.
Think of what she had in her hands,
what she wore,
her hair,
and her expression.
----------------------pause---------------------------------
When I first thought of this, I thought of saying that Ann and I were like chalk
and cheese, which is true, but on reflection lock and key was nearer the mark.
We were opposites in so many ways; music, books, culture, religion, and hobbies
to name but a few. Despite, or maybe because of that, we fitted together, the
bumps on the key matching the pegs in the lock.
One balancing the other.
Yin and Yang.
Together we formed one unit stronger than either alone around a common core which even after more than 30 years I can't define, but a complex mix of moral values, belief, tolerance, loyalty, trust and acceptance.
Love comes in here somewhere, but it's a word I've rarely used, because the
thoughts and feelings it evokes mean such vastly different things to different
people at the same moment.
I did however use it in the completely unreserved sense when I felt Ann could
hear after the stroke.
That was the greatest tribute I could ever pay her.
Everyone here has their own memories of Ann. I don't need to give any details.
What we will all miss will be her expressions of love.
