A Tribute in celebration of the life of Mum (Joan Eade)
Mum was born in Upper Edmonton, North London, on 22nd August 1922. This was the year the BBC was formed which probably explains why she liked listening to the archers!! Her childhood years were spent with her older sister, Rene, who she was very close to. Her father became an engineer when he returned from the Great War. Her mother stayed at home as a housewife. Life was happy during this time but then Mum’s father died when she was 14. Life now became more challenging.
Rene & mum both started work in their late teens. Mum started with the British Oxygen Company as an accounts clerk. When WWII started, living and working in North London became very dangerous especially during the Blitz. Mum told the story of running to work trying to avoid bits of shrapnel falling out of the sky from the exploding shells of the anti-aircraft guns that were protecting the nearby Gas works. Those Gas works were often targeted by the German air force and when they missed the target their bombs could fall on Alston Road where mum and the family lived. To this day the road has number of large gaps to the terraced houses on either side where bombs had landed and destroyed a number of properties.
In 1942 Mum met Stan, her sole mate, shortly before he joined the RAF to train as a pilot. Stan, luckily for me, survived the war and they were married in 1945. Mum continued to work until 1953 when two momentous things happened. The coronation of Elizabeth II and my birth !! I will leave you to decide which event was the most important.
I lived at home with my parents and my grandmother until I met my sole mate, Eileen, and we married in 1978.
Mum & Dad continued to live in Edmonton and both of them were very active in the Scouting movement with Dad becoming Group Scout leader for the 17th group and Mum becoming the district badge secretary.
In 1988 they moved to Olney to spend their retirement years and to be closer to Eileen & I. We were worried that moving from a house where Mum had been born and spent all her married life would be a difficult transition, but they thrived. Mum joined the Olney Mothers & Wives club and served as a committee member for many years. Dad joined the Olney Bowls club and enjoyed himself greatly. When Dad died in 2005 we set up the Stan Eade cup competition in his honour which is still played for 15 years later.
Mum & Dad were a matched pair and when Dad died we wondered how Mum would manage. However, to our surprise and pleasure her quiet resolve to stay in her own house and be in charge of her own decisions shone through. Her friends rallied around and in the early years of her widowhood she was very active and social with a piece of cake and a cup of tea always available to callers.
As the years passed her physical health suffered and by the time she was in her early 90s she had difficulty in walking. We gradually introduced as much extra help as she would allow us to. It was only 3 years ago that she allowed us to install a stair lift!! We are very grateful for all the help and support her friends, neighbours, Tony her gardener, Karen her cleaner and all the carers from Olney Care gave her especially in the recent years. All this help allowed us to achieve her goal.
To live for 98 long years, to retain your mental faculties and to be able to choose the place you will depart this world from is no mean achievement. This is some comfort to Eileen & I.
Mum, you will be missed. May your spirit be joined again with your sole mate, Stan and may you both rest in eternal peace. However, I suspect DAD may have to cut back on the bowls!!