Her life at home

We know little about her first husband other than it didn’t work…
But she outlived both of her next husband’s, Ken Witherick and Jim Cawley.

From Avril “My memory of big sister, as a young children we always spent a week, in the summer holidays with Jean & Ken in the prefab. l loved it, a big garden, and luxury we did not have at home, toilet in the house, a bathroom, and a fridge in the kitchen etc. Playing in the garden, picking blackberries, Ian and Peter scrumpy apples from next door, and Jean making a fantastic summer pudding. Bonfire night was great baked potatoes, and Ken lighting jumping jacks under my mum legs, we thought it was funny not so my mum. In later years when l had sadness in my life, Jean was so kind making sure she phoned me on the anniversary of those sad days and sending me flowers. Saying goodbye too my very strong very kind sister is hard, but remember her for always having great nails.”

Several years after Ken’s passing she met up and eventually married Jim Cawley. This brought Hazel in to her life as a step-daughter and an additional grandson, Ross Nash. Sadly, and to everyone’s shock, Jim passed away suddenly at a relatively young age leaving Jean alone again.

From her photograph albums though these things didn’t slow her down, with trips to Sri Lanka, Singapore (to see the Cheah’s and Kuppasamy’s that Ian her son had married in to with Celine), Russia and more.

In the late 90’s Allan spent two years living with her during his time at University. She kept active though and even after he finished University she had a more active life than he did, attending several different social clubs every week!
Allan continued to have a close relationship with her, calling up several times a week making the best of free evening calls (back when that was a real perk on an One-2-One contract!) to talk to her during his hour long drive home.

At around 90 her physical, and mental, health had started to deteriorate. The family did what they could to support her through both direct commissioning of support and through the local council’s carers. Ian, Allan and Nigel along with her sister Wendy were regular visitors, keeping her company, sorting out the shopping, utilities and of course taking the obligatory bad photographs at Christmas. When Allan married, Eleni his wife, joined him on those trips and also took a hand- literally, helping to cut and paint her nails. Jean did recognise this, sometimes reacting better to her than to Allan as “She’s lovely”.

We were lucky to have a dedicated team who truly cared for her from BM Carers, and to have found Luce, who provided support from company through to keeping the house clean and tidy. Everyone who visited, from the physio through to the speech and language specialists commented on how well supported and loved she was and this is something that we can not repay enough.

Her life at Work

• WRVS/Wrens?
• Dylon – for many years she worked at Dylon as a manager taking retirement at 60 years old (state pension age).
• Friends of Lewisham Hospital – After her retirement at 60 years old, Jean was not one to just stop. She started to volunteer at the Friends of Lewisham Hospital group where she helped out with various activities until her second retirement 20 years later at 80!