Gillian Smith (Passed away 7 Oct 2019)

In loving memory of Gillian Smith who sadly passed away on 7th October 2019.

Gillian was born with her twin to parents Vera and Walter in Hartlepool in October 1961. The youngest of 7 children, David, Phil, Eileen, Sheila, John and Judith, they lived in Tankerville Street. At 11 years old, the family moved a little north to Peterlee, eventually settling in a house in Thorntree Gill. Gillian left Shotton Hall Comprehensive with 6 o-levels and became a school science technician at Yohden Hall Comprehensive, but she had a dream to become a medical laboratory scientific officer. So Gillian worked hard at evening classes to study science and applied biology at New College Durham and the University of Sunderland. She gained 2 more o-levels, a BTEC ONC in Science and a BTEC HNC in Applied Biology.

In 1987 Gillian secured a trainee Biomedical Scientist post in the Lister Hospital in Stevenage, about 30 miles north of London. Living in Stevenage allowed Gillian to go into London to study at Paddington College where she earned a BTEC Supplementary Certificate in Medical Microbiology and Immunology in 1989. Living so close to London, Gillian could indulge the other things that she enjoyed; travel, watching tennis at Wimbledon, and music by going to concerts. Gillian managed to keep out of trouble; in November 1987, Gillian passed through Kings Cross underground station about 30 minutes before a fire broke out destroying the station. And she holidayed in Yugoslavia in 1991, the year before the Bosnian war broke out.

Following her love of music, Gillian joined a guitar class in Stevenage. It was there that she met Tim but after 10 months he moved to Swindon in search of a better job. They kept in touch and soon they were seeing each other almost every weekend. Gillian completed her training at the Lister and became a registered Biomedical Scientist.

Gillian and Tim were married in October 1994 in St Barts Church, Wootton Bassett where Tim lived at the time. They bought a house together in Station Rd, Chiseldon and completed just 1 week before they were married. They travelled to Fiji and New Zealand to celebrate. Gillian spent a year as a Locum Biomedical Scientist in Bath, but had always wanted to continue studying. When the laboratory in Bath closed she became a full time student at University of the West of England. Gillian completed a B.Sc (Hons) in Applied Biological Sciences, gaining a 2 (ii) in June 1997 and gave birth to her first child, Joanna, in August the same year.

Their second child, David, was born in 1999, but that did not stop Gillian enjoying studying. Shortly after David was born, Gillian went back to the University of the West of England where she gained an M.Sc in Medical Microbiology in 2002. Gillian and Tim moved to a larger house in Chiseldon the same year, and had Stephen in 2003.

As the children got older, Gillian went back to work part time as a science technician at the Ridgeway School and also took the role of Administrative Assistant at Hopscotch Pre School. Gillian took a science technician job at Churchfields School in 2010. The family enjoyed trips to Canada, Sweden to visit Eileen, and to the North-East to see Sheila and Judith. Gillian loved to sing and joined a choir in Wroughton. Through a friend at the playgroup, she found the Wroughton Assemblies of God which became the family spiritual home. When the choir closed, Gillian continued to sing in the church worship band. Gillian’s faith was important to her. She loved to worship and she got involved in the church playgroup, Little Lambs, and took minutes for a time in leadership meetings. She arranged her work so that she could continue to be at Little Lambs on Wednesdays. Through the church, Gillian sponsored 2 children through school in Burkina Faso, Africa; Reine and Jean Raphael.

In 2012, Gillian was diagnosed with breast cancer and the remainder of her life revolved around hospital visits for treatments and endless scans. She spent Christmas day 2012 in hospital and much of 2013 was taken up with chemo and radio therapy. In 2017 Gillian changed jobs to be a teaching assistant in Wroughton Primary school before finally returning to be a science technician at Lawn Manor Academy. She was well enough for trip to America to see the total solar eclipse in 2017, went to watch tennis at Wimbledon a couple of times, and saw some of her favourite artists including Carol King and James Taylor. But in 2018 a pain in her hip was eventually diagnosed to be cancer that had spread to her bones. Radiotherapy kept the pain at bay and there was more chemotherapy. She managed to squeeze in a visit to her brother Phil in Scotland, more tennis at Eastbourne and bands from her youth that she thought she would never see; Lindisfarne, and The Eagles. But cancer is relentless and it spread to her liver, was making swallowing difficult, then made breathing difficult. It was shutting down one kidney, making her face numb and limiting the use of her right arm.

Gillian was generous and selfless, and at the end she wanted to spare her family the pain of her death at home so went into Prospect Hospice on Saturday afternoon. She was gone on Monday morning. She kept her faith to the end and her last words were a cry to Jesus for help.

Gillian was known for her style, straightforward talking, loyalty and generosity. She is sorely missed. Until we meet again.