Heather Wilhelmina Le-Surf (Passed away 12 Apr 2014)

So sad to hear of Heathers passing.
She was a lovely caring lady who kept in touch with me about our family.
Letting me know things about my Dad Ian her late brother and just saying hello.
Thank you Auntie Heather for all your caring words and love over the years and for just connecting.
Masses of love to you.
Sorry Mark and I will not be able to attend but our love and thoughts will be there.
Karen and Mark. xxxxx

Thank you Robert for contacting me. My husband and I met Heather when we were attending Greek lessons in Sutton in 2004 and remained friends ever since. A truly wonderful person who had such a caring nature. Sorry will not be able to attend funeral but my thoughts will be with you all. I will remember Heather always and may she now be at peace.

Susan

Dear Robert,

Thankyou for calling me and letting me know of the sad loss of Heather. Please let people know I am away with a work project next week and send all my best wishes.

I met Heather through the Braziers Experience in the summer of 2009. Right away I sensed a dry but also fruity wit and the presence of a lady who had lived a hundred lifetimes. After a group exercise one afternoon, we met in the camp kitchen where she embraced me and said I would make a wonderful husband. I had to decline her and explained I had been married 3 years already. Heather sat around the campfire in Oxford, mucking in with humorous observations and raucous laughter. Truly inspiring to be around. My last gesture to her on that occasion was to give her the picture I had drawn symbolising all the open hearts warmed by the flames of the fire. I am still touched that she felt it summarised the whole experience so succinctly for her. Later when I became a father, she dubbed me” Papa Fire starter.” Heather will always be “Heather Braziers” to me.

Thank you Robert. Please let me know you got this email

Fond regards,

Simon.

Heathers favourite quote: ''We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." - Oscar Wilde
(She adored Oscar Wilde's Quotes and writing)

Heather was not only a very very special, dear and close friend to me but she was the kind of friend that anyone would ever wish for. She only ever would give her very best and always made time for those she loved, no matter what. When we used to go on one of our adventures together in the car, Heather would always refer to us as "Thelma and Louise", she had a wonderful spirit of adventure!

Her kindness, courage, wisdom, compassion, resilience and inner strength were attributes that myself and our Personal development group had the privilege to experience. Inquisitive and always questioning the deeper side of life and the psychology of emotional intelligence with a determination to challenge her own personal journey with dignity and inner truth. Heather's intelligence and quick wit would always put a smile on my face, what a fabulous sense of humour mixed with a splash of wisdom! Many times in group she would say something not realising how funny it was and wonder why we were all laughing! A fighting spirit always, with a heart of pure liquid gold.

From the moment we met our journeys entwined, we laughed as well as sharing many touching moments together. We really didn't need words, just a look and we would know exactly where each other was at and how we were both feeling. She would always greet me with the warmest, loving open arms and a huge embracing loving hug like no other. Our lives revolved around our deep love for our dogs and we would often meet for walkies and talkies. The greatest gift she gave me was her unconditional friendship and love. Heather will forever be held so dear in my heart. Her encouragement and support to all were gifts she offered freely, with love and kindness. She was an inspiration being fearless and willing to be challenged, and open to receive those challenges and explore all possibilities with determination. As well as her courage to challenge and provoke thought within others with her unique sensitive and compassionate way. A risk taker through and through, throwing caution to the wind when she knew that it was now or never, living for the moment and not missing any opportunity. A lover of life!

At our college camping retreat although I could feel her struggling physically (although she tried so hard not to let it show), she never let it get her down and in fact would energise us all with her joy around the camp fire. A great team player as well as a true leader, always true to herself. I remember us having to move our tent's from the valley up the hill next to the fire because it was warmer and drier, and how we laughed at the fact that moving house with a tent was so much easier than moving house and why couldn't it be that easy to move house in real life!
Heather always really pushed herself to try and be the best person she could and always challenged herself to the core with the most incredible courage and inner strength. "A Class act." A Great Soul. A Giver. A True Friend. The Best.

She always referred to herself, Verity and me as the Three Amigos! We will forever be "The Three Amigos!"

I do hope that this is helpful Robert. I'm not the best with words but I hope that I have managed to give even just a taste of how much Heather means to me and always will. A truly beautiful shining soul. She will forever remain deep within my heart.

I have asked Verity and Heather's good friends from our Personal Development Group if they would like to write a few words and have given them your e-mail address so as they can send them direct, hopefully by 10 am tomorrow morning, but at worst within the next couple of days.

Also when I get time I will take a photo of Heathers Plum tree and e-mail it to you so you can see how beautiful it looks with Heather's heart i made for her on her tree.
Warm Regards and Very Best Wishes

Ollie x

Heather to me was the outstanding example of really engaging with living life, because despite her illness and the limitations that had already been put on her by the time I met her for the first time, she embodied the 'live life to the full' philosophy. Her wonderful stories about her past exploits not only made me laugh but they painted the vibrant colour of the person she had become. Heather was so full of courage it was hard not to feel courageous around her and her true compassion and acceptance was equally contagious, it was impossible to feel unloveable around someone who could challenge your core beliefs in such a compassionate, understanding and no nonsense way! Heather's dogged determination to question and explore everything she thought and learnt about herself, was a shining example for all of us that had the privilege to spend time in her company and I remember with great fondness the car journey's home from PD! Braziers really was a life changing experience and she was a true rock throughout it ,and just seeing her made me feel safer.

A friendship with Heather was something that should be bottled - it came with absolute love warts and all, honesty without fear and hugs that were designed to let you know that you were loved. Her passion for Manchester Utd knew no bounds no matter how many times the "we don't like football' conversation took place she continued to share her love for Rooney and the golden game! Her love of Scotland through and through made finding the Anderson tartan for her on a trip to Edinburgh a true pleasure, her face always showed that she knew we'd taken her with us on holiday and the stick figures on the front of the postcards will always be for Heather. We only got to holiday together once as the 3 amigos to Hastings and even with the late night visits to what actually was a lovely A & E department we still laughed throughout. That is one of the things that never ceased to astound me her ability to laugh at life.And such a stylish woman who would never lose her pride no matter what.

I never did say Thank you no matter how many times I meant to, and I guess it was because Heather you already knew, you were the catalyst, the reason and the biggest supporter to get Ollie to PD where I could meet her, and for that (and so much more) I will be eternally grateful.

Heath, there are so many words I could use to describe you but I'm just going to stick with friend, because within that you gave so so much more.

And yes, "We are still looking at the stars" xxx

I hope this goes some way Robert to expressing how Heather touched my life.

Warm Regards

Verity