Myra Lincoln (28 Jun 1942 - 17 Mar 2020)

In loving memory of Myra Lincoln who sadly passed away on 17th March 2020.

Our Mum was born on Sunday 28th June 1942 at 221, Wakeham, Portland – to Ernest and Catherine Bird. She had the usual 1940’s up-bringing for a Portlander, even though it was still the war. She was able to go to Tophill School and stayed until she was about 16.

Unfortunately Grand Ma Catherine developed cancer and passed away when mum was about 10, it was very hard on them all. Grandad used to take mum to his colleagues house, Mr & Mrs Harris where they played cards, after Grand Ma had passed Mum stayed more and more with Mr and Mrs Harris, so much so that they wanted to adopt her but Grandad wouldn’t let that happen.

When she left school Grandad Bird paid for her to go to secretarial college – where she learnt her shorthand – (which came in handy later on in life when she was keeping Christmas present lists). When her brother Norman Joined up, Mum thought it would be a great opportunity for her also and joined the WRAFs as a Dental Nurse and was based at RAF Halton. It was there where she met Our Dad – David – in the Naafi of all places.

They married on the 18th of March 1961 near Mums home on Isle of Portland, after dad received a posting to RAF Luqa in Malta, Dad went first then Mum followed shortly after.

Mum followed Dad all over the place, then in 1968 when they were at RAF Benson my Sister Catherine/Kate was born. I came along a few years later in 1971 while they were at RAF Wittering. when I had my first and only brush with the law, Dad was rushing mum to the hospital to have me when they were stopped by the police, it was raining hard and the windscreen wipers weren’t working properly, dad kept stretching out of the drivers window while driving to flick them across the windscreen. The Copper took one look at Mum and suggest they follow the police car to the hospital.

In 1974 dad was posted to Germany – RAF Wildenrath. He went on head, then mum followed with us girls, we were halfway across when the Pilot said we had to return back – there was a suspected bomb on board. Mum was pretty terrified and forgot to pick up her toilet bag from under the seat and went bright red when the cabin crew walked into the room holding it up asking whose it was. From then on, whenever we came back to see family, it was always Via Sealink or Townsend Torrison – Ferries!

In 1978 our time in Germany was over and we moved to Swindon, and now Kate and I were getting older, we got a puppy Sandy.
Mum fell back on her Secretarial skills and manged to get a little job. When Dad had completed his RAF service they decided to settle on Portland. Mum started working at the Naval Base as a Secretary. It was on one of these occasions the HM Queen came to visit. We as school children went down to do the waving of flags, mum was stuck in the office continuing her work. She was typing a letter to the Chief of Police thanking him for his co-operation during the Royal visit but mum hit the wrong Key, and typed Thank you for your Cop-operation, how appropriate. It was before computers and laptops – it was a time of manual keys and carbon paper, so not so easy to rectify.

A few years went by and then dad decided to apply to the prison service as there were 2 on the Island, dad got – Pentonville – so we moved again. This time to Hainault and ended up in the next street to his Sister, Eileen.

Kate and I were older and settled in school and Mum had a few local jobs, one I remember was at the bakers I guess she wasn’t happy there and started to work for an Agency in London, getting work as a secretary where she could, she work for the Law Society and eventually ended up working as an Executive Secretary to the International Director of BT. It was there she was working till her retirement.
Work and family life carried on and till the late 1980’s then - when Mum and Dad were on Holiday - Kate moved out to Shoebury – a couple of years later - when they were on Holiday again – I moved out to Shoebury – and with us girls gone - Around 1990 - Dad was introduced to Bruce, the untrainable German Shepherd. Charlie the black Labrador came along a couple of years later. Mum loved them both and after we lost Sandy was a nice distraction.

In 1991 the Grandchildren came along - first Hayley, then in ‘94 Daniel. Gemma in ‘99 and Sally 2002.

In 1998 Mum and Dad moved yet again - to Shoebury.

They joined the local Church – St Andrews, and Mum loved being Granny, the kids would call in after school, granny had usually been baking, but it never lasted long when the grandchildren descended, it got so bad they planted a grape Vine as Hayley was always eating all the grapes. They went on Holidays, some with Dads Sister Eileen and also went a few times to the USA to be with Rosemary a friend she made way back when and who is also my God Mother.

She was always up and down with her health but it was Dad in 2007 who got rushed into hospital. Mum coped pretty well and looked after dad when he finally came home after surgery and a spell in ICU. Life carried on but more and more there social life was being taken up by medical appointments. She had her hip Replaced and we thought great she’ll be running marathons, but then the Cancer diagnosis came, it was Multiple Myeloma, she was on Chemo for a while and her levels were good, then Dad got a Lung Cancer Diagnosis, though I never seen such a fit person with Lung Cancer, he carried on looking after mum till 2018 when we lost him.

Mum was inconsolable, and her health went rapidly downhill, we managed to get some tests and Alzheimer’s was diagnosed. We realised Mum wouldn’t cope at home on her own and Daniel and is then Fiancée Mel, moved in to support Mum. Daniel realised he would have to give up his Gardening Business and became mum’s full time carer. Dan and Mel got Married in Feb 2019, we managed to get mum to it but not for long. Her Alzheimer’s got worse and worse and when Hayley got married in August we had to get a nurse to look after mum, as she wasn’t safe to leave alone, the Lovely Anne a colleague of mine, and Mums District Nurse stayed with her for the night.

It was a battle since then, Dan and Mel did an amazing job of looking after mum, Kate would go round on a Friday and do her dinner, to give them time off. It wasn’t help by her developing Type 2 Diabetes and needing Insulin, all she wanted to eat was Cakes, sweets and chocolate, but she would eat the Scampi, Chips and mushy peas Kate took round. When Dan and Mel went away I either Myself, Kate or Hayley would go and stay with Mum, sadly in March this year she got too much even for Dan. We arranged for her to go into respite care, we told her it was My birthday and we were going for a Rossi Ice Cream as well as an Assessment for her and we could do both on one day, she didn’t like going outside but it was a beautiful day and she agreed, got dressed and went out to the car without too much fuss. We drove along the seafront, Dan went and got us all 99’s and we sat in the car eating a Rossi watching the boats go by and that is how I will always remember Mum. 6 Days later, after my birthday and before hers and dads 59th anniversary she passed away. Dad went in his summer clothes and mum has a beautiful dress on for their reunion. Love you Mum.