Eileen Anderson (21 Dec 1926 - 28 Apr 2020)

In loving memory of Eileen Anderson who sadly passed away on 28th April 2020.

Mum was born on December 21st, 1926 in Whitechapel/Stepney and always felt the proximity of her birthday to Christmas. Her parents were Florence and Walter Sage and she was an only child although – and not everyone will know this - a twin sister was still born and this was a sadness that her parents and she felt all their lives but also meant that Mum was an especially cherished child. The twin was christened Gwendolyn and this is both poignant but also a reminder to her three granddaughters that twins are in the genes! The Sage family then moved to Mitcham then in Surrey where so much of her life took shape. There were many aunts and uncles in the Sage family which helped make her childhood idyllic in many ways.

Mum attended a good grammar school in Mitcham which formed her though when she was 12 World war II broke out and, whilst many of her contemporaries were evacuated, she stayed where she was and in many ways, despite the obvious anxieties and problems, this was an exhilarating time too for her. At junior school Eileen met our Dad, Alan, and their families were both prominent at the Ascension church which was a big part of Sage family life and where they would later marry on Assumption Day 1953, a marriage that would last nearly 66 years until Dad’s death just over a year ago.

Mum remained a mother and housewife after Clare and I were born but she had a very active and fulfilling career before then, notably at the Bank of Montreal and the Middlesex Hospital. She enjoyed a lively and busy social life with a wide circle of friends and especially her lifelong great pal Pat with whom she was a devoted arts and culture fan loving the theatre above all and Laurence Olivier in particular and by today’s standards would have been considered a superfan or even a stalker! Mum and Dad moved to East Grinstead in Sussex in 1960 to a brand new house and we were born close by in June 1963. Our early years in Sussex were very happy and we all retained a fondness for the area. As we reached junior school age the next big move came about in 1970 as we followed Mum’s family to this area settling in Barnstaple Road in Thorpe Bay where Mum and Dad remained for over 45 years in a house full of memories for all of us including the four grandchildren.

The grandchildren meant a very great deal to Mum always each of them in their own unique ways and in turn they were all extremely fond of her. An abiding memory for all of us is last Boxing Day when we were all together and photos from this day featured in an email message and card we sent Mum in hospital as we were sadly unable to visit. Her final years were spent in Herschell Road a few hundred yards from here and her move there typified her independent and determined spirit as Clare and I were suggesting a small flat but she fell in love with this place when Clare brought her here and the years she spent there were extremely happy even after Dad had to go into a care home after a year. She was pottering around this lovely chalet bungalow with a beautiful little garden until only a month or so ago thanks in very large part to Clare who devotedly did her shopping and drove her to her medical appointments and did every odd job going often assisted by Beckie to whom Mum was always especially grateful. In the final couple of weeks it was Clare who nursed her until the time came for her to go to hospital where we are delighted to say that despite everything she received the most wonderful NHS care. Clare took Mum also to her beloved hairdressers in Thorpe Bay where she went as recently as February and which were a joyous highlight in later years and it was only the virus that brought an end to those!

Dogs were always a big part of Mum’s life and she was devoted to them all from Gill and Dinah when she was a girl to Bryn when we were born through to Jet, the unforgettable Sue, Tessa and Elle. We all have fond memories of holidays in Wales or the West Country or the Isle of Wight and she and Dad went further afield as they had done in Austria when newly married, including happy holidays in the old Yugoslavia, the Dordogne, Loire Valley, Venice amongst other places.

Mum had a strong character. She was loving and affectionate and fun and combined with our Dad’s complementary strengths skills made for a happy childhood. She was in no way scared of speaking up or out if things were not as they should be and we all found this from time to time! But above all she always acted with great kindness and patience and concern for others. In later years we have very fond memories of their 60th anniversary we arranged a high tea and visit to a champagne bar along with a show in London for a day that we will always remember.

The current strange times have deprived us of marking Mum’s passing quite as we would have wished but there will be another service when the time is right in church. 93 is a great age and we can all honestly say that Mum’s life was a life well lived in which she was strong and fit and bright as a button until almost the end and we remember her with huge affection and gratitude.