Queenie Mitchell (26 Sep 1931 - 7 Apr 2015)

In loving memory of the late Queenie Mitchell who sadly passed away on 7th April 2015.

My Mum Queenie Mitchell was born to Lily and Oliver Sinton on 26th September 1931 in Guisborough Yorkshire, where she grew up with her two elder brothers Eric and Raymond.

Mum was a bit of a Tom Boy and didn't like wearing girly clothes, much to her mothers disappointment, yet later in life she became quite a fashionista.

As a country Gal she passed the time getting up to all sorts of mischief. Once while amusing herself with her rural friends they were blowing up frogs when one was put down her jodhpurs. It got stuck and started jumping around. She couldn't get it out and this caused mass hysteria. That is where the fear of frogs was created.

Her Father Oliver liked to travel and would often disappear on his motorcycle for months at a time, occasionally writing home with his whereabouts and stories and this may be where the need to travel and holiday around the globe arose. He even got a job as a cop in the USA but was refused the position when they found out he was a miner on strike.

Mum attended a good school and at some point decided that she would like to be an Air Stewardess, however she never did this. Mum moved to London shortly before meeting her first Husband Frederick George Sharpless (Ronnie), while working at Croydon Aerodrome Hotel, as a maid.

Mum went on to become a loving mother. She did all her own painting and decorating and tiling, roping in Lesley and I to help. She once tiled a small bathroom in a biscuit coloured tile from floor to ceiling and when she looked for my approval I told her it looked like we were in a cardboard box, ha ha. 

Later in life Mum enjoyed spending time wining and dining with her daughters in restaurants up and down the country and enjoyed many trips to the pictures (cinema) with me. She loved us dearly but at the same time kept us under strict control even during adulthood.

Mum had the warmest of hearts towards the animal kingdom and had numerous pets which were treated like family members. When married to Dad we had a rabbit called Bunny who she house trained. Bunny was free to run in and out if the house and used to go for walks on a lead in the countryside. He would often fall asleep on the top of the stairs and then roll down to the bottom. He drank tea and ate custard. When we had visitors Mum had to warn people not to put their cup of tea on the floor after stirring it, as the rabbit would drink the tea; no one believed her and it therefore happened often. Mum would call Bunny in, by tapping a spoon on the side of the dish. Mum loved gardening and over time grew her own flowers, fruit and veg. Bunny used to wait until the pansies were in full bloom before he lopped the flower heads off and she would chase him up the garden but never catch him. He also went on walks wearing a harness in the fields and countryside. 

She also had a Budgie named Chuggly who would fly around in the house and was treated like royalty. Once Mum had company and layed out plates of freshly washed salad. To Mum’s horror Chuggly flew into the salad leaves and washed himself.

I taught her to drive in an old beaten up mini and she was not a natural driver to say the least. We laughed and screamed when she hit tree stumps on verges in the lanes. Unbelievably she actually passed her test in my green mini in Croydon but never drove at all. She then decided many years later that she would like to start driving again so went to Yorkshire for a week and took driving lessons, came home and still never drove, ha ha. 

She did yoga for 25 years and surprised the nurses in hospital aged 83 at how high she could easily raise her legs when laid down. 

In her professional capacity she went on and worked in a glove factory making fur gloves, then at “Prototypes” as a cook. Realising she could be an office worker, she worked for Link House Publications. Mum then did a brief stint at Croydon Advertiser and then worked for British Gas on the phones handling emergency calls for gas leaks. She also had qualifications in Spanish, attending night school in her later years in order to be able to converse while travelling to Spain.

William Mitchell (Bill), her second husband shared her love of two further furry friends, Happy and Fred the Yorkshire Terriers. They benefited from their warm hearts. Fred was pretty much a three legged dog with few teeth who had been in a car accident and therefore was a “must have” member of the family who was fed smarties and freshly cooked chicken.

Queenie and Bill travelled to many countries often visiting small towns and back street venues, where they befriended the locals and the stray cats. Mum enjoyed going to places she had read about in books as opposed to the tourist hotspots.

She was a character, a loving, caring, strong woman with clear views on right and wrong, who wasn’t frightened to speak her mind whether you were a friend or someone in authority. She liked to keep up to date with all the latest gadgets and trends. At that time the family were the first in the road to have a telephone, television and even a duvet. Even shortly before her passing she invested in a juicing machine which promised to juice fruit and vegetables without losing an ounce of goodness.

Mum’s beliefs were mainly in the spirit world and we shared many trips to Clairvoyants and Spiritualist Churches. She had her fortune told twenty five years ago by Mir Bashir, which told of major events in her life which she ticked off over the years including deaths.

Mum developed Emphysema over 40 years ago and we saw her true character and personality slowly diminish. However from time to time we often saw flashes of her character, quick responses and those looks that said either ‘I like you’ or ‘stay away’.

In the last few years Mum was admitted to hospital on many occasions each time becoming frailer but enveloped in love and cared for by her family each time.

Queenie Mitchell leaves behind a Husband, Daughters, Grand Children and Great Grandchildren.

“Mum may your light continue to shine on us.”

XXX

I know Mums wishes were that people not buy flowers for her funeral. Please feel free to donate to the charity she supported.
It is the Brooke Hospital for animals and is also a donkey shelter. The "just giving" link is above (top right).
Thank You.