"Memory" 30th March 2020

Jackie. She was feisty and being some eight years older than her, she was in my youth a baby sitting nightmare, particularly in Malta. For example, if I had a girlfriend to the house to help me with the baby sitting, I would suddenly hear a voice say, “You’re kissing again” as she had sneaked downstairs when she should have been asleep. She would then tell Mum in the morning. Unsurprisingly, as I was in my late teens, I oft times, mentally planned her demise! As we both grew older we shared experiences, were really good friends and although my nomadic existence rarely allowed me to be static in UK for more than a couple of years at a time, Jackie and Gareth were able to visit us in Germany and Cyprus where we really had fun and kept in contact. After our Father’s sudden death, Jackie was the one who took the strain, looking after our Mother and was strong for all of us. I much admired her mental and emotional strength which was something that carried her through life and was an example to us all. Fun was Jackie’s middle name but more than that she was loyal to her family and friends, a doting Mother and Grandmother and I was proud to say that she was my sister and I loved her. She will be missed more than she could ever imagine. Ian