Gone but not forgotten

Jean Jones once told me that she always read the Abingdon Herald obituaries because so often she would read about a friend’s passing there. In 2010 we said goodbye to Jean Jones.

In 2011 there were a few names I also knew in the Herald obituaries. Jean would have known more …
Pauline Selleck
Pauline Selleck taught me and my wife to do the waltz and foxtrot two years ago at Abingdon Dance Studios. She was an excellent teacher. Pauline was born in Abingdon, attended Our Ladies Convent, and taught ballroom dancing from 1953. She ran the full-time dance school in Swinburne Road which her daughter Liz continues to run. Pat Lonergan, when he was Mayor, gave her a Mayor’s award for service to the community.
Lilian Barry
I first met Lilian Barry at a creative writing class at the Oxpens college in Oxford, about 30 years ago, just before I moved to Abingdon. In the class she specialised in humorous poems. I saw more of those poems when I moved to the Tithe Farm estate in Abingdon where she edited the residents newsletter for 15 years on a portable typewriter, and often ended with a humorous poem. She, and her successor Steve Annells, were the inspiration for this blog. She was the warden at the Jephson flats for 17 years and after retirement at aged 72 worked in a number of our charity shops until the doctors forced her to retire a decade later.
Betty Flew
I often used to sit near Betty Flew at Trinity Church. She was a very kind but frail lady and I was very suprised to learn at her memorial service that she had been a nuclear physicist before retirement. Retired people often amaze me with things they have done earlier in life.

Angela Moreton-Smith was very active at St Edmunds Church and was friendly with my mum, and a reader of this blog. (Not sure I should be writing memorials in this blog. People can tell me if it seems wrong. But at the end of the year is a time to remember.)

3 thoughts on “Gone but not forgotten

  1. GIBBO

    I also remember Lilian Barry from some years ago when i also lived on Tithe Farm, as young children we used to perform Christmas plays to the residents of the flats in the common room opposite where she lived, she used to keep us in order, not too much noise was allowed as not to upset the residents. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there and i can hardly believe that was nearly 30 years ago. If only all children nowadays could lead such simple, carefree lives as we did then as well as helping elderly people enjoy themselves at the same time. Godbless Lilian

    Reply
  2. Paul Sheppy

    I knew Pauline – although I only moved here two and a half years ago; she was a lovely lady and is greatly missed. One of the strange (and challenging) things in life is learning about people before illness or age finally takes them. You see a frail-looking person and discover how vibrant they were – and often still are.

    I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, but I hope I can be a full of life as these three were!

    Happy New Year to one and all.
    Paul

    Reply
  3. Davidofabingdon

    “Not sure I should be writing memorials in this blog. People can tell me if it seems wrong. But at the end of the year is a time to remember.”

    I think I would say that this is Your blog, and you should be free to write whatever you want on it. If folks don’t like the content they do not have to read it. Personally I think it is entirely appropriate at this time of year, although I eould like to hear backstreeter’s hopes, expectations and resolutions for 2012 too.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to GIBBO Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.