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Kathleen Roberts

(17th January 1927 - 22nd November 2021)

Kathleen Roberts

17/1/1927 – 22/11/2021

Kathie was born Kathleen Coles 17-Jan 1927 in “Southwood”, the house that she lived in all her long life. It was a world we can barely imagine now with fires in the tiny grates in every room and the boiler being specially fired up for hot water for laundry and baths.

Southwood was built by her grandfather and occupied then by her grandparents and mother. Many people have passed through Southwood since – American soldiers billeted during the war, friends from Hersham, friends from work, friends from overseas, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Everyone welcomed with a cup of tea.

As a girl she did well at school and gained a place at Tiffin Girls School.

Stories include the headmistress marching the whole school down to the Thames when it was frozen in winter 1941. “You girls will never see this again in your lifetime” (she was right)

Through the Guides she worked as a nurse in the war, even as a very young girl – cycling all the way to St Peters in Chertsey during the blackout until her granddad put a stop to that as too dangerous – she continued working at Rodney Road.

She taught a Sunday School class and played the piano there.

After matriculating she worked at County Hall, Kingston as a shorthand typist, then later worked in a similar capacity at Bullens offices in Olympia.

Stories from this time include being sneaked into the Ideal Home exhibition, for which Bullens did all the “shifting” – let in a fire exit, she & her friend found herself right near the Queen as she was being shown around the exhibition on its first day. (Not much Security back then)

There were a particular bunch of friends around in those days, most of whom worked at Hackbridge-Hewitt – like most of Hersham.

That bunch of twenty-somethings were interested in cars. They would go to see the racing at Brands Hatch, and turned up with a contraption on a trailer that one of them had built which unfolded to create a precarious stand for a dozen or more. (Not much Health & Safety back then)

Her friends included Nigel Roberts, who she would marry in 1950.

He was an engineer and left the Hackbridge factory to set up, with the Wright brothers, a garage to fix cars at Walton Station goods yard.

There was also the small matter of a couple of kids – Clive & Tony (1953 & 1957).

After us children grew out of being mewling infants Kathie, also worked at the garage, in the office typing out estimates and invoices until it changed ownership in the 90s

The main part of her life was work. Work at work, and work at home keeping the house, looking after her aging mother.

Running a small business like that meant there was little time for holidays.

When, finally Dad retired and sold the business they had more time for that, but they never went far. A cottage in the Cotswolds or Cornwall was their ideal, where they could take gentle walks with their little dachshund, but only for a week.

She was always a member of St Peter’s Church and took a class for Sunday School – playing the piano for their hymns and songs.

Later, she would be on both the flower rota and the cleaning rota for the church, right up until she simply could not do it anymore.

But I am forgetting the main thing: Throughout all the phases of her life and all the people she met I never heard one say she was anything other than lovely, kind and generous. That’s what she was, and that’s how she will always be.

Kathie passed away very quietly and it is not possible to express fully how sad we are at her leaving us.

She lived what can be described as a quiet life but she touched the lives of so many positively that it does not seem enough to say that.

She loved everyone equally, universally and always tried to see the best in every person she met. Even though she was severely hallucinating almost from the very day of her fall, she stayed true to herself even in her dream life, comforting herself with the busy, happy theatre of all the people in her past.

She was full of love, for us and for her many, many friends who all will miss her terribly. To the very end, she stayed full of love.

She was at the centre of our lives and it is a different world without her.

Charity Donation In Memory of Kathleen Roberts

Donate to Macmillan Cancer Support

You can choose to make your donation amount private, if you wish.

Macmillan Cancer Support Donations

John and Pauline Palmer

In loving memory of Kathie Roberts who was a wonderful support to all of us xxx

£200.00 + £50.00 Gift Aid


Anonymous

£50.00 + £12.50 Gift Aid


Anonymous

£50.00 + £12.50 Gift Aid


Anonymous

£50.00


Val Ball

In loving memory of my very special friend, from Val Ball and Caroline, Jon and James


Anonymous

£50.00 + £12.50 Gift Aid


Anonymous

£25.00 + £6.25 Gift Aid


Obituary

Macmillan Cancer Support

£425.00 + Gift Aid of £93.75

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A Few Kind Words...

“To all that it concerns, thank you seems hardly enough for making our Pops (William Hadaway) day very special with love and dignity from the beginning to the end you all made the day very special as well as his wishes you were there for all the family and made it a bit easier for us all to handle, couldn’t have wished for anything more. Many thanks again.”

Mark Hadaway & family

To Lisa and all at Greenwood’s
Thank you for all the care and professionalism you have shown whilst caring for my Dad.
Thanks also for being so wonderful whilst looking after Diane and me, we are so grateful,
you took the pressure away from us during a very stressful time.

Sally and Diane

“Dear Fran

I just wanted to drop you an email to thank you for all your care and support in the arrangements for my dad, John.

I know that my Mum, Valerie, was most grateful for your support and care, particularly last Friday which was a difficult day for her. Mum said to me that you went over and above in her eyes, making sure she was ok before you would let her leave.

Dad would have highly approved of the day yesterday, and that’s all we could have asked for. It really was the celebration of his life that he would have wanted.

Again, my sincerest thanks and gratitude to you all.”

Helena

“Dear John,

Thank you for the wonderful service, support and help you offered me and the way you looked after my partner Bob, after he passed away.

From the professionalism and courtesy your team showed on that most traumatic moment – taking Bob from our house – to your kindness, and surefooted advice, the recommendation of the Celebrant, and then your kindness in coming to the cremation as well.

It’s been the hardest month or so of my life and yet I was so pleased with how the service went, the wonderful order of service you arranged and helped me with and of course the music as well. Throughout it all you treated me with respect, dignity and gave me such helpful advice. I’m not sure I would have managed well without that. Even more, I can now look back and reflect that the day went well and represented my partner and our love so well.

I think it’s important to thank people when they have done such a great job.”

Douglas

“We would like to thank you for a friendly and professional service and especially Adam who made a good job of the service, and a big thanks to Jane who was a great help and showed much kindness. We would recommend your company.”

Chris & Mike Whalen

“Just a wee note to say a huge thank you for your amazing support, care and friendship when helping us to arrange my dad’s funeral. Although it was such a difficult time for us as a family, you ensured that we were so well looked after & that everything went perfectly. Our tears often turned to laughter in your company & that’s because you helped us remember the good times.

Thank you for everything from the bottom of our hearts. We would also like to thank the whole team involved in helping before, during and after my dad’s funeral. You truly are amazing, showing such dignity, compassion, care and professionalism. Thank you.”

Karen, Anna & family

Dear Mr Alan Greenwood, I cannot thank you and your team in Bookham enough, for the excellent service they provided in every respect in the Cremation of my wife.

Your resident Funeral Consultant Mary fully explained all we needed to understand and advised the options available to us.

Her in depth knowledge of all the service providers including, Order of Service, authors and print selection, Celebrant, Hall and refreshments.

So many things which without her I would have been lost.

In the past few days I have received so very many complements and praise for the service you gave.

Do please allow other potential clients to share our experience.

Yours sincerely

Terry Eves-Thorpe

Sheila Eves-Thorpe

“Would you please pass on our thanks to the young lady who conducted the burial of Joyce Ashby last week. She was so kind to Jean my very elderly cousin especially on the ride back in the Limo taking us through Richmond Park and chatting all the way. We then went on to have a family picnic in Jean’s garden in the sunshine a lovely way to remember Joyce and the perfect day for Jean. Very many thanks from all of us in North Wales.”

Sheila, Keith & Rhoada Ashby

“How can we say thank you for all you did to make Robert (Bob’s) funeral so lovely? We felt you worked so hard ,with your company and the Church to make everything so nice. So once again thank you.”

Wendy Dennis & Brenda

“The family would like to thank you and the whole team at Greenwood’s for your warm and professional service. We were delighted with your attention to detail and the relaxed but respectful manner of the Attendant and Bearers on the day itself. Many of our friends commented on the ‘dignity with lightness of touch’ and said it was one of the best-organised funerals they had attended. It was certainly a very different experience from my father’s funeral twelve years ago, and we shall recommend you wholeheartedly to others.”

Carole Day and Family

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