The abridged version of the PowerPoint slides were shown at the celebration of Deborah’s life on Saturday 21st January 2023.
I have the opportunity to show both the short and the long (unedited versions), with some comments by myself (Andrew – Deborah’s husband).
The
numbering is for the long version with the numbers in brackets for the shorter
version. I apologise for the speed of the presentations.
I hope that
you enjoy some of your own reminiscences of this wonderful, beautiful lady
1 (1) A purple
candle (her favourite colour) was lit by Rev. Tony Shutt on the last assembly
at Send Church of England Primary School before they broke up for the Christmas
holidays in 2022. It was the day after Deborah had gone to start her new
adventures with Jesus (to use her own words). The candle was then taken to the
parish church where it remained until Christmas Day. The photo sums up the
centrality of Jesus dying on the cross for Deborah.
Tony has kindly
given me the candle and it is now situated in our study.
2 (2) Deborah
had fond memories of growing up in Poole with her Dad, Mum and her brothers,
Paul and Keith.
3 (3) She has
always loved school. She told me that she used to stay behind in the classroom
for the teacher to give her algebra lessons as she was so good – when the other
children came back, Deborah could just get on with her advanced work.
4 (4) This
photo was taken shortly after we started going out; indeed, we joined up with
other members of my family on Anglesey.
5 Right from
the first days, we knew that we had a love of history. We were members of the
National Trust, upgrading to life membership over time. When we went on
holiday, it was quite common for our plans to include NT places. We were known
to join other organisations (such as English Heritage, Historic Houses
Association) for a year if they had more properties in the area that we wanted
to go to.
6 (5) On our
wedding day (19th December 1992), Deborah looked truly stunning and,
honestly, she got better looking as the years went on. I remember the
excitement that we had in spending the years ahead together. Looking at the
video, there is a realisation that we talked together most of the way through
the service.
Although we
enjoyed our wedding day, we looked forward more to our ongoing marriage much
more.
7 On our
honeymoon, it was freezing cold in Guernsey. We had scarves and jumpers
especially knitted for us by a good friend.
8 (6) For
someone who hated being photographed, Deborah is quite relaxed in front of this
camera. It was part of a session where we were being photographed as the Blake
family for a significant birthday.
9 The picture
of Deborah and her youngest niece, Rachel, was taken after Rachel’s christening
in Poole. Needless to say, Rachel towered over both of us.
10 It is
another photography session set up with a mother of a child that Deborah taught
in Stoneleigh. It shows her ready smile again.
11 We enjoyed
visiting Wisley, the RHS garden near us, as we like to look at God’s creation
around us.
12 (7) In
perhaps my favourite photo, Deborah is with Aunty Mary - they had such a
tremendous relationship. We went away with her on several occasions, this one
being taken at the Roman baths at Bath.
13 I look less
happy about my photo being taken. The telling sign is that, over twenty years
later, we still have the same clothes in our wardrobes!
14 The location
is Compton Verney art gallery, which was one of our favourite destinations. We
went there with Dad and Pam, with Aunty Mary, and with our friends Jackie and
Jim. Another location for art that we enjoyed (in addition to it being free for
National Trust members) was Petworth House.
We loved art,
although Deborah did not like to stand in front of a painting for too long.
15 (8) Deborah
was very close to her Dad, and here they are at Hampton Court on one of our
many excursions there.
16 Deborah is
pictured with Aunty Mary – I think it is outside the Royal Oak in the Cotswolds
after we had Sunday lunch there. We would try to get to see her about every two
months.
17 (9) Deborah
was always cajoling people to get into position for the photo, usually it was
her two brothers, but here it is her Mum and Aunty Mary at Wisley.
18 Confusingly,
Deborah had two aunts called Mary – one was her Mum’s sister who was known as
Aunty Mary (even by the people that never met her but had heard Deborah and
myself talking about her) and one was her Dad’s sister who we called Mary to
stop the confusion. We had a lovely two weeks with Mary out in Port Shepstone,
near Durban, South Africa. In this photo, the two ladies are relaxing.
19 (10) Mary,
Deborah and I are relaxing in Mary’s lounge.
20 (11) Deborah
and I were taken around the Zulu rural district – something that tourists never
do but we were accompanied by Mary and a Zulu pastor – where we encountered
such poverty and disease, including AIDS. In the photo, Deborah is holding one
of the Zulu children at the local hospital who had AIDS or who was orphaned
because of the disease. She wanted to bring them home in her suitcase. On
reflection, I wish that she had,
21 (12) In a
pose for the school, it reminds me of so many things such as her passion for
teaching children, her immaculate dress sense and her collection of scarves.
There is always a photo where Deborah is smiling or has the hint of a smile,
otherwise there is her infectious laughter which I miss so much.
22. (13) This
photo was taken in the garden of one of my sisters, on the occasion of my
parent’s diamond anniversary. I pick it because Deborah always looked so
beautiful with flawless skin.
23 Deborah was
interested in going out and seeing new things. We visited the model village
near Beaconsfield on a warm sunny day.
24 In this
unusual shot, Deborah is making friends with a lamb as it is held by one
brother-in-law Del. She could get on with most animals, and loved dogs, cats
and rabbits in particular. The only creatures that she could not abide were
birds – it was a dislike of feathers – which made it interesting as her Dad
bred budgies and canaries!
25 She could
pose with the best of them at another National Trust property.
26 Her love of
family could be clearly seen. Here she is with Paul and Keith on the latter’s
40th birthday.
27 (14) In her
brother Paul’s garden with her Dad and Pam (her step – Mum), her nieces Rachel
and Laura, and myself on the occasion before Laura embarked on her degree
course on education at De Montford University in Leicester.
28 Deborah with
her Dad at a family gathering
29 Deborah with
her Mum at a family gathering
30 This photo
was special to Deborah as it was on the screen page of her previous laptop. The
occasion was Laura’s 21st birthday at The Greyhound in Poole in
October 2011. Apart from a subsequent visit to Christchurch with him and Pam,
this was the last time that Deborah went out with her Dad as he sadly passed
away in June 2012 due to pancreatic cancer. Deborah missed him so much.
31 At the same
occasion, Deborah was at the centre of her nieces.
32 Although out
of chronological order, this photo shows the collection of Deborah, her Mum,
her Dad and her two brothers at Keith’s 40th birthday party.
33 (15) We had
just climbed a hill outside where we were staying in the Lake District when
this photograph was taken.
34 Deborah put
much work into organising Aunty Mary’s 80th birthday party,
especially as it was only a couple of weeks after her Dad had died. She did
manage to have a laugh in the midst of all the busyness, in this case with
Keith. She was always making sure that the arrangements of any event that she
organised was perfect, ceaselessly worrying whether she had done enough.
35 (16) At
Aunty Mary’s 80th birthday party, Deborah is seen with her Aunty,
her brothers and her cousins on her Mum’s side of the family.
I still do not
know how she did it but Deborah kept in contact in meaningful ways with family
and friends – all benefitting from her humour, insights, knowledge and wisdom,
and her listening to God.
36 Deborah had
two goddaughters – her niece Laura and (sharing with me) our friends’ daughter
Maisie, the latter is in this photo. Deborah took this role seriously and sent
books etc. that would encourage them to think about God. We were really pleased
when we attended Maise’s baptism after she accepted Jesus as her Lord and
Saviour.
37 Deborah was
well-known for dressing up as an Egyptian princess for a murder mystery evening
or going in ‘50s costume to a themed dramatic performance. In National Trust
properties, she inevitably delved into the dressing up box, which might have
happened here.
38 Just before
Deborah’s 50th birthday, we went on holiday to Jersey. At a museum
on the island, she can be seen sitting on a historic chair.
39 (17) She
tried on a traditional bonnet that could have been found worn by women on
Jersey as well as other locations such as Dorset.
40 Repeat of 38
41 (18) This
pose sums up Deborah’s sense of mischievousness. At the museum in Jersey, there
is a mound with an old chapel at the top and a neolithic chamber at the bottom.
We had finished looking at the chapel and exploring the chamber when Deborah
decided to pose. It impressed me so much that this photo ended up on a mug that
I gave her as a 50th birthday present (I did her other presents as
well!).
42 – 44 These
photos are representative of her 50th birthday meal in Poole with
her brothers in 42, with Pam her step-Mum who made her cake in 43, and with us
as a couple in 44 (19).
A reason that
we went to Jersey on our summer holiday was that we sailed out of Poole harbour
and had the family meal when we returned.
45 (20) Her
niece Rachel arranged for Deborah and I to have a special visit to Greenways,
the home of Deborah’s favourite author Agatha Christie, as a birthday present
to Deborah – being able to park at the car park at the property, which is rare.
On this visit, Deborah was able to say that she played Agatha Christie’s piano.
Piano playing was a talent that Deborah kept from most people.
46 Deborah and
I were kindly invited to the wedding of my cousin Nick to his wife Nikki.
47 (21) Deborah
with her brothers at a family gathering.
48 Deborah was
always willing to have a laugh, this time it at the antics of my sister Alison
whilst we were celebrating the silver wedding of my other sister Helen and her
husband Kev.
49 – 51 Deborah
enjoyed getting together with family and, on this occasion, it was to celebrate
her Mum’s 80th birthday.
52 (22) The
next day after we had the party for her Mum, several of us went for a stroll
along past Poole quay. Seated on the bench is: Aunty Mary, Deborah, her Mum and
Uncle Les.
53 Deborah and
I enjoyed walking, especially in the beautiful countryside. She was always
excellent company, and we would talk about anything and everything.
Occasionally, we might even break into song – hoping that no-one heard us. On
the longer walks, we would inevitably get lost for a short while before getting
quickly back on track.
54 (24) By a
fountain in Berlin, Deborah shows how glorious the weather usually was when we
went on our European city breaks in the October half-term.
55 It was no
coincidence that Berlin is named after bears and there are statues of them in
many prominent places. Deborah is posing with the one outside our hotel.
56 Deborah is
back into dressing up mode as lady of the manor The other costumes she tried on
at that property was that of a nurse in the early 20th century (when
she looked like her Dad’s mother who had been a nurse) and that of a soldier.
57 We just
loved wandering around the grounds of historic properties, here it is Plas
Newydd. In reality, we just enjoyed being with each other.
58 This is a
photograph of a previous time that we had been to Greenways, where Deborah
pretended to be reading a newspaper on the settees – all of which you are
allowed to do.
59 I am not
sure if Deborah ever mastered the finer points of croquet, but she enjoyed
using the mallet to knock the ball through the hoops.
60 (25) At the
wedding of one of my nephews and his wife, Deborah is with my two sisters.
We have been
fortunate in that we have got on well with Deborah’s brothers and their wives
(Paul and Deb, Keith and Tina) and my sisters and their husbands (Alison and
Del, Helen and Kev), together with all the nieces and nephews.
61 Deborah is
photographed in Florence, where we went to celebrate our silver wedding
anniversary.
62 (26) We
enjoyed going up to Glasgow on several occasions, meeting up with her niece
Lauren and her husband Ruairi. We liked the city very much, but here we are at
Stirling – Deborah’s and mine most favourite place in Scotland.
63 I managed to
catch Deborah off guard at a family event in Northamptonshire.
64 On a hot
sunny day, we went around a National Trust property in Norfolk whilst we were
on holiday.
During our time
away, we went to Norwich cathedral where Deborah was able to pay tribute to one
of her heroines, Edith Cavell.
65 (27) On
another trip down to Plymouth, we went with her niece Rachel to the Eden
Project.
The environment
was one of Deborah’s interests, and we enjoyed learning and walking around the
different plants in the various settings.
66 On one of
Deborah’s birthdays, we went to HMS Victory in the Portsmouth historic
dockyard. We managed to get tickets that gave us entry to the various museums
and other exhibits in and around Portsmouth and Southsea within a year, which
we managed to do.
Another reason
for going to the south Hampshire coast was to shop at the Gunwharf Quay outlet
centre, where we managed to obtain several bargains.
67 One of our
favourite European cities is Rome. Here Deborah is looking over from the old
ruins toward the Colosseum.
68 On the
previous day from slide 67, we arrived at the Colosseum just as they were
closing. On this day, we went on a guided tour around the Vatican museum and St
Paul’s Basilica, then walked across the city to finally get in to the
Colosseum.
After we
visited this interesting site, we walked back across Rome to get to our
accommodation.
69 and 70 We
enjoyed each other’s company with the bonus of exploring new places or
re-visiting much-loved ones.
71 (30) On our
silver wedding anniversary, we had a meal with some of Deborah’s family in
Dorset. On this particular Sunday, we had a meal with Andrew’s parents and four
good friends. We wanted to keep it small as we did not want a fuss.
After we left
the Italian restaurant, Deborah and I attended two evening Carol services, one
arranged the evangelical church in Send and the other by the Anglican church.
72 We had a
lovely holiday in 2019 (before the Covid pandemic) cruising around Norway as we
were (correctly) advised that it was the best way to see the fjords. We made a
number of friends on the ship.
73 Whilst in
Norway, we made the opportunity to see as much as possible. In this photo, we
embarked on a vehicle to take us up to see a large glacier.
74 (31) and 75 (32)
We were just happy to be in each other’s company.
76 In Glasgow,
we tried to see as much as possible.
Deborah was
pleased with that blue hat – purchased at a stall in St Mary’s, the oldest
church in Guildford. The hat had been made out of recycled wool.
77 Over the years,
Aunty Mary became frailer and experienced the effects of dementia.
As she had
power of attorney and (more importantly) because she had great love for her
Aunty, Deborah did so much for her – such as arranging the necessary carers,
ensuring that midday meals and other food was provided, organising the
cleaning, looking after Aunty Mary’s bank account, switching to an electricity
company with a better rate, and so on.
78 We enjoyed
getting out into the fresh air as much as possible. In this instance, after the
church service, we went for a walk on Epsom Common.
79 At school
half term, we took the opportunity to get away. On this excursion, we visited
the famous Rococo gardens at Painswick, which are well-known for their
snowdrops.
80 (33) In the later years of Aunty Mary’s life,
Deborah and I would stay nearby and then take Aunty Mary out for trip to the
local garden centre or to Broadway, for example.
81 (34) As a
result of Aunty Mary having dementia, Deborah was passionate in supporting the
Alzheimer’s Society. In 2021, Deborah and I completed the fundraising Walk for
Life – which was the last charity event that we did together.
In April 2022,
Deborah visited Aunty Mary in Cheltenham hospital (I could not go in due to
ward restrictions). We were not to know that, by the end of the year, both of
them would have died from brain diseases – Aunty Mary from Alzheimer’s and
vascular dementia in June, and Deborah from brain tumours in December.
82 and 83 (35)
Deborah formed a close-knit group with Sue and Tracy over ‘Cathedrals, Coffee
and Cake’ – which meant going around cathedrals and Jane Austen’s house, and
enjoying afternoon tea.
Deborah had a
wide social circle with many different interests so each one of her family and
friends benefitted from her companionship, interest in them, and sharing
knowledge and insights.
84 (36) As a
couple, we also enjoyed going out for meals. This photo shows us at the Charles
Rennie Mackintosh designed restaurant in Glasgow.
On the 19th
December 2021 (our 29th wedding anniversary and the last one we
spent together), we went around the Christmas display at Polesden Lacey (a
National Trust house) before having afternoon tea at a local restaurant.
85 (37) This
was the last photo of us taken together, having a meal together at the Street
shopping centre in February 2021.
86 (38) I love
her so much and miss her tremendously; however, I know that she is having new
adventures with Jesus.
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