Tribute: Gill Andrews

Tribute: Gill Andrews 2nd May 1940 – 12th September 2020

Mum was born in Pentre, in the Rhondda Valley, on 2 May 1940 to Sydney and Mair King. She has a younger brother, John.

In 1961 she married dad, Glyn Andrews, who was from Cwmparc. They have 3 children, Mark, born in 1962 in Aberystwyth, Jane, born in 1964 in Leeds and Kathryn, born in 1968 in the Rhondda.

In 1966 Dad won a Harkness Fellowship to study for an MBA at Stanford University, California, which took our family to the USA for 2 years. Many adventures were had during that time.

On returning to the UK we lived in Petts Wood, Kent, then due to a career move for Dad moved to Haddenham, Bucks. After a year spent in Shepton Mallet, Somerset we eventually settled in Hale Road, Wendover in 1975, where we remained for the rest of Dad’s life, and which became the favourite home for all of us.

Mum began her career training as a children’s nurse in Great Ormond Street hospital. In her 40s and 50s she was a phlebotomist and ECG technician at Stoke Mandeville hospital. She was also a Welfare Assistant at Stoke Mandeville Combined School. In later years she worked once a week as a volunteer in

the Florence Nightingale Hospice Shop in Wendover and was there for over 25 years.

Mum was a loyal member of the congregation at St Mary’s Church, Wendover, and gave her time voluntarily to help in many roles for the church.

Because of the decades Mum lived in Wendover and because she was one of the most generous, warm and sociable people you could ever meet, she had a huge social network. Walking down the High Street with her would take a very long time because of the number of people she stopped to talk to!

Some of Mum’s friends and family fondly called her ‘the Queen of Wendover’, partly because she knew everyone, also because she had a certain resemblance to the lady in question.

In 2019 Mum moved from Hale Road to Dobbins Lane. Sadly, shortly afterwards Mum was diagnosed with cancer. After a brave battle Mum died peacefully, at home, with her 3 children and their partners around her.

Gill’s funeral took place on 1 October at St Mary’s Church. Due to the current COVID-19 regulations, only 30 family members and friends were able to attend, but the family managed to organise a live streaming and recording of the event which meant that 100s of people around the world were able to be there ‘virtually’.

If you would like to view the service you can do so by visiting www.funeralstreaming. co.uk/viewing-room/3565/.

Any donations can be made to benefit Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity and the NSPCC at Heritage & Sons Wendover or online at www.cpjfield.co.uk/services/67148.

The family would like to thank all of Mum’s many friends in Wendover for their beautiful messages of condolence, both spoken and written. Reading them has reinforced our belief that she was an incredibly special woman, who we were so fortunate to be able to call our Mum.

Gill’s children

Gill and Glyn