Jean Greaves (21 Jun 1931 - 6 Apr 2023)

In loving memory of Jean Greaves who sadly passed away on 6th April 2023, aged 91 years.
Jean was born on Victoria Street, Mansfield on 21/6/31 a treasured only child to beloved parents Bill and Louie Atkins. When she was 3 her family moved to Gordon Avenue, Mansfield a street where she then continued to live for 77 years in different homes.
Jean had a wonderful childhood always playing outdoors, always kind and friendly she had a wide range of friends particularly Joyce Lilliman who she met at the age of 4 and who remained a lifelong friend. Much of Jean's later childhood was lived with restrictions of the wartime years.
Jean attended Carter Lane Infant and Junior schools and moved to Ravensdale at age 11.
Jean started work aged 14 in June 1945 working in clothing manufacture for Foister, Clay and Ward for about 2 years. Jean then worked full time for a number of Mansfield employers, working for each for a few years until moving on for a new challenge. Jean worked at Barringers, Shoe Co. Whiteley Electronics and Meridian working up to nearly 35 when she left to look after her new baby. At work Jean was always approachable, helpful, hard working quiet and modest and was well liked and respected by her colleagues making friends including Kath Whiley and Beryl Zuchlinski whom she remained friends with for many decades. After taking time off to look after her children Jean returned to work from 1976 to 1984 as a hand finisher at Meridian again making new friends including particularly Celia Evans.
In her teens Jean discovered a love of dancing and attended the Palais de Dance on Leeming Street regularly. She became a very good dancer, particularly dancing the Quickstep. Jean danced there every week at the Palais from the late 1940s to the early 1950s and she saw and danced to many big bands including Geraldo and his orchestra. She liked listening to music too and as a younger person particularly liked Bewitched by Bill Snyder and his orchestra and enjoyed songs by Frank Sinatra and Frankie Vaughan.
Jean met her beloved husband Arthur in 1951, having their first date at the Rock Cinema on Skerry Hill, Mansfield the beginning of their 70 year love affair. Jean and Arthur became engaged at Christmas 1951 and they married on a summers day in August 1953 at St Lawrence's Church, Mansfield, their wedding planning still affected by some wartime rationing measures. They then embarked on the adventure of their honeymoon in Ilfracombe, travelling by steam trains and spending every penny of their savings creating wonderful memories they could recall decades later particularly the sunny day they spent together on Lundy Island. This was the beginning of a wonderful, happy marriage that was to last for 68 years.
Jean and Arthur then began their lives journey together and had 13 blissful years together. A time of both working full time but enjoying all their spare time together. A time of nights out every weekend, socialising with friends and of staying in and listening to plays together on the wireless. Jean loved going to the cinema and would go every weekend to see a film with Arthur going to different cinemas across Mansfield. She also liked to regularly visit the theatre and liked seeing plays, shows, pantomimes and musicals. In these early years of her marriage Jean enjoyed one or two holidays a year with Arthur going to Scarborough, Barmouth, Shanklin and other places making many happy memories she could enjoy with Arthur many years later.
Jean always wanted more than anything to become a Mother and it became a source of increasing concern and sadness for her that she couldn't seem to have children as she grew older. Then aged 35 Jean achieved her dream and had a son Adrian, then later in 1971 a daughter too Tracey. Jean and Arthur both felt that this deepened their marriage as they put their children at the centre of their lives creating a very close and happy family together.
Jean was always there for her children to help them and create and share countless happy memories of shared experiences, days out and holidays together, initially in Britain but then later abroad in Italy, Greece, Spain, Malta and Cyprus. Jean was always an extremely loving and devoted Mother to both her children and her only motivation was to help her children be happy and content as they moved through their lives. As her children moved into their adult lives Jean was always there for them and the strength of her unconditional love for them never waivered.
As Jean grew older she needed to care more intensively for her beloved parents and gave up work to do this. This was a said a difficult 18 months for Jean as she had to balance caring for her Dad and particularly her Mam with her own family and eventually Jeans had to cope with losing her parents but always received loving help and support from her husband.
Jean always liked animals and around this time had a budgie Archie who she loved and as a young person had a much loved dog called Jimmy.
Later when Arthur retired at 65 Jean entered a special time in her marriage becoming truly inseperable. This was a time of spontaneous days out to familiar places, of long walks together on summer's evenings and of watching films and TV together warm and snug in front of the fire. A time of simple pleasures, enjoying life together in happiness and contentment.
Jean finally became a Grandma to Lauren when she was 76 and then 5 years later had her second grandchild too, Carly.
As time passed and Jean's health changed Arthur supported her with patience and love for many years to enable her to remain in her familiar home with him for as long as he could. Jean later moved to Parkside nursing home in Forest Town in February 2012 but then continued to see and spend time with her Arthur almost every day for nearly 10 extra years. They enjoyed many more happy times together, vising local parks and cafes, enjoying entertainments in her home and having a last trip to the seaside together to Skegness in 2013. Almost every day Jean and Arthur would hold hands and share a kiss, still so close together despite having to live apart.
Jean was able to share too her Diamond and Sapphire wedding anniversaries with Arthur, receiving 2 cards in recognition from the Queen. She was also able to share her 90th birthday with her beloved husband too in 2021.
Nothing would stop Arthur from seeing Jean, he used a taxi and a walking stick when he stopped driving and later used a wheelchair to be with her, he was determined to keep seeing his wife for as long as he could and he always said right to the end that he thought Jean was as beautiful then to him as she was when he first met her all those years ago.
Jean will always be remembered with overwhelming affection, gratitude and love by her children for the lifetime of devotion and love that she always gave them and she will live vividly in the gift of the countless wonderful memories she created with her family.

Donations were requested in lieu of flowers for the Alzheimer's Society, £91.50 has been raised currently.