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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...

“We would like to thank you very much for looking after Mum and for all the arrangements you made for her funeral last Thursday. Your professionalism, help and ready advice together with your sensitivity at such a difficult time was much appreciated by us all. Our best regards.”

Nigel, Colin Ian & Coraine Ferguson

“We just wanted to say a huge thank you for everything you did for us. You certainly made a very emotional and difficult time so much easier to bear. We are so grateful for the support you gave us and your gentle guidance along the way. Everything was perfect thanks to you and we would highly recommend you to all. With very best wishes.”

Family of Stanley Stearman

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

“As a family we cannot thank you enough for all your care and support of us on the passing of our mum – Peggy Hart on October 19th and her funeral on October 31st. As we know from the past, you do a wonderful job and all the staff are so caring and compassionate. Carol you are a rock (dare I say Star!) as you guided us through so much and helped keep us on track.

The day went off so smoothly and well. Mum looked good and would have so enjoyed her last ride in the jag! Also she would have been pleased at Alan leading the way, as Dad – Bill thought so highly of him and always spoke of him in glowing terms when he was alive and said he was a great guy to work with.

Thank you, thank you, what more can I say. I just wish you had offices in Canada so when my time comes, I know I would be in such excellent caring hands.”

Maggie & Mike Raftery

“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

“I would like to say a big thank you for everything. I had nothing to worry about, it all went so smoothly from the day of his death to the end of the funeral and in the circumstances could not have been better. Thank you so much.

I don’t have a great deal of experience in these matters, but compared to the other funeral directors I had to deal with, Greenwoods are the tops and you personally were a pleasure to deal with, you hit absolutely the right note.”

Ann Bishop

“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

“Dear Judy,

Thank you for all your hard work and great communication for the arrangement of mum’s funeral. Even though the restrictions limited certain things, everything ran so smoothly. We were able to celebrate mum’s life with a lovely service and great help from you and all at Alan Greenwood funeral services on the day.”

Yvonne and Peter Richardson

Dear Cindy,

I just wanted to say thank you for yesterday and please thank all the gentlemen who helped us. Everything ran very smoothly and they were excellent.

I was also very happy with the service booklet and photographs.

Lyla

“Thank you for the care and support you gave to us all at the funeral of Annette Streetley, we did appreciate you kindness as we first stepped through the door at your Claygate branch and the days following. I know Tony, Rachel & Andrew were extremely grateful”

David & Betty Wakeford

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