Valerie (Val) Patricia McHale (15 May 1947 - 19 Oct 2015)

Valerie (Val) McHale
Sadly, Val McHale passed away in the Nottingham City Hospital on Monday 19th October 2015 after a long and courageous battle with cancer.
Val was born 15th May 1947 to Robert and Ida Northage. Robert was a Shot Firer at Cinderhill colliery and they lived in Napoleon Square during her childhood. She attended William Crane Infant & Junior schools and later went on to Guilford Girls School, which became Ellis Guilford and then attended Sycamore Secondary School where she met lifelong friends Wendy and Liz. Val lived all her life in Nottinghamshire, a county that she loved and wrote passionately about in local papers in her later years. Her first job was making baby clothes at Coopers at the bottom of The Chase on St Ann’s Well Rd and then became a trainee buyer for Griffin and Spalding in the glass and china department. At the ripe old age of 19, she changed jobs again to work at Marks & Spencer in various departments only leaving to have her son Ian. Val had a very varied career as a fishmonger with her then husband and father of Ian, Ken Sworder. She was the receptionist for Stocks School of Motoring on Goldsmith St where she also learnt to drive in a red Vauxhall Viva, her driving instructor was particularly impressed by the way she carried out instructions, when told to go straight across the next roundabout, she did just that much to the annoyance of her driving instructor. When she left the driving school, she was presented a memento of the car she learnt in (its handbrake). She was a stock controller for Thorn electrical, control room assistant for the RAC, Nottinghamshire Ambulance service and Police. An assistant in Jacksdale garden centre and lastly as a receptionist for Thorntons a job she loved and where she made many wonderful friends.
Val was always about putting the needs of others before herself. She was very proud to have served as a Special Constable at Hyson Green for many years, especially when on duty during Goose Fair, where she could enjoy the smell of mushy peas and indulge in her favourite brandy snaps, along with dealing minor offences and looking after lost children.
Val had a fondness for dogs and has cared for, and loved a Boarder Collie (Flash), German Shepard, two Labradors, a Sheltie, two Yorkshire Terriers and two Spaniels (Rolo and Mac). She also had a house rabbit called Cassy (short for casserole), which sadly did not like the house part. She also liked her music and enjoyed the Stylistics’, The Commodores, Johnny Mathis, Lionel Ritchie, Take That and Robbie Williams She was also introduced by her grandson Nathan, to other styles such as korn and Asking Alexandria although these may not have quite hit the same adulation as Robbie.
Never wanting to play the typical grandma, Val was always willing to try new things, which included abseiling (for charity) and jagermeister.
Val’s love of flowers was always apparent she loved her garden and especially the butterflies that visited and said that when she died she will come back to us as a butterfly so think of Val when you see them.
Wife to Martin for 24 years, sister to Ann, proud mum of Ian, very proud & devoted grandma to her grand children and friend to so many. Val was always there for us giving love, support and friendship until the very last moments of her amazing and inspirational life.
Valerie has left a hole that will never be filled in all our hearts especially her family who saw a wonderful loving and courageous lady, who enjoyed life and fought so hard right to her last breath to stay with us only to be denied by complications brought upon by pancreatic cancer.
Our love for her will never die.