Marjorie Joan Willatt 3rd May 1931 - 11th October 2020

Marjorie Joan Willatt (Marg)

To celebrate the life of Marjorie Joan Willatt , a very special 'Mom" and a much loved "Grom".

• By Son Andrew (his first name is really William you know) and wife Kathryn,
• Daughter Elizabeth (Bib) and husband Pete,
• Their children and partners, and grandchildren.

Remembering that more than half her closest family are in Australia sadly missed and wishing they were here

• In Victoria, Daughter Sue and husband Kevin, their children, partners and grandchildren
• In Perth another grandson, his partner and their children.

So special and much loved by so many... Be assured she cared for every one of you.

Marjorie was the oldest of 5 children born to Alec and Ellen Bown.

Her love of family was rooted in their home 72 Upper Bainbrigge Street, the hub of family life for many years.

Because her father ran a building business from here it was known as The Yard. This was an exciting place for children - with san to play in and ladders to climb to the loft.

There were many great family get togethers headed by the homemaker, Marg's mother, Ellen.

Children and grandchildren loved the stories of her childhood, especially the one about how she bought chicks at the market, with the change from buying groceries, when she had been sent on an errand.

The chicks had to be cared for by keeping them warm in the range oven. They all turned into cockerels and terrorised everyone entering The Yard and had to be fought off with brooms.

They ended up as neighbours Christmas dinners!

 Her best friend at Homelands Grammar School was Jean. Jean introduced Marg to her brother Frank, who became Marg’s husband in 1949, they were married for 71 years.

They learned to Dance at the London School of Dance but there love of dancing wasn’t restricted to Ballroom. When the immediate family were older there was lots of fun to be had at barn dances, “Dosey-doing” and “Stripping the Willow” followed by supper of pie and mushy peas.

Daughters Elizabeth and Susan were born while they lived at Green Lane, Derby and after they moved to Mackworth, Andrew was born.

A huge change came about when the young family moved to Utley, Keighley, in Yorkshire.  It provided a wonderful opportunity for family and friends to visit, she loved having them stay.

 Friendships formed in those early years with Frank’s family lasted her lifetime, joint family holidays, visits, shared family events.  Frank’s family was just as important to her as her own.

During this time she was an active member of St Mark’s church, she ran the women’s fellowship and she and Frank founded the pensioners luncheon club.

She was devastated when Andrew started school.  The doctor advised her to either have another baby or get a job. She began with two school secretarial jobs and then became a librarian at Silsden library.

In 1966 the family moved to Holly Avenue, Breaston, a sunny happy house. Marg continued working as a librarian in a nearby school which entailed taking some classes...This realised her ambition to become a teacher and she studied for A levels to gain access to Bishop Lonsdale College.  She went to college as a mature student at the same time as Elizabeth went off to college in Manchester.

She spent her teaching career at Bennerley Fields, Ilkeston, teaching children with learning difficulties.  She also ran parenting classes.

 Anglesey was a place returned to many times, and eventually “The Cottage” was acquired in the late 1970’s. 

On one of the walls there is a record of over 40 years of family history, every child and adult who visited the cottage made a mark of their height with the date.

As there were many visits by each child there is a record of their growth from tots to adulthood.

 Marg loved the outdoors, to find a sunny spot to relax maybe with a glass of sherry, to go on walks through the Nut Wood or along the beach at Red Wharf Bay.

When out in the fresh air, she would say to all “breathe deep”!

Sailing had become another source of family fun and the Menai Strait Regattas became the main holiday of the year.  Soon there was a fleet of family dinghies and a small sailing cruiser.

Marg loved to be on the start line in Beaumaris, cheering her family on, and afterwards at the yacht club, hopefully to collect prizes and celebrate with a drink.

To gather together around a table to celebrate an occasion gave her the greatest pleasure.

She initiated the “Golden Oldies” a regular meeting of her brothers and sisters and her very close brothers and sisters in law.  They met often in each other's homes or perhaps a pub right up to the Coronavirus Lockdown in March.

She loved to be the provider of food: Picnics on Beaumaris Green, Sunday roast dinners, Birthday cakes, and Harvest baskets of home-made jams and pickles,

In Autumn she would be making plot toffee, toffee apples and of course the legendary flapjack.

As Frank’s Alzheimer’s worsened Marg became a dedicated carer and was determined that he should stay at home.

For the past three years this proved to be very restricting as Frank couldn’t bear her to be out of sight.  During this time she was ably supported by Sue, Kevin, Andrew, Kathryn, Liz and Pete.

Her biggest treat of the week was to have her hair done.  Andrew would sit with Frank, showing musicals on DVD and making models to entertain him, whilst Marg had her hair styled at one of Sally’s salons.

Afterwards she liked to visit the Cathedral and light candles for the family.

When Frank passed in August, after the initial grief, Marg recalled many memories of their life together and told the family that she had had such a full and happy life.

She often claimed that for her it had been Christmas every day.

Family was her life, her love, her all.  She took great interest in everyone's lives, loved to hear your news, shared your joys and worries, was proud of your successes.

You were all her family!