Sheila Elizabeth Lowe (3 Nov 1925 - 6 Oct 2020)

Born 3 November 1925 in a "beer off" at Hilltop in Eastwood Nottinghamshire. Second eldest child to Annie and Fred.
Sister to Eileen, Ann, and Ernest. Mother Annie was a credit draper, and her Father Fred worked in the offices for the NCB at Eastwood Hall. They had a drapers shop on Hilltop, and Sheila used to talk about how they collected payments from their customers on a Saturday.

They were very active with the local Catholic Church, and the local priest, along with friends and neighbours, would visit the house regularly.

Sheila was educated at the Sacred Heart of Mary Convent boarding school in Liverpool, but had to return home upon the outbreak of war.

On completion of her education, Sheila trained as a secretary, and worked at a number of offices around Nottingham. She also spent some time working for a senior officer in Nottinghamshire Constabulary. Upon marriage to Leslie (Les), Sheila gave up work to become a housewife. Sheila used to do the book keeping and processing of the wages for the butchery business (Lowe's Butchers and Pastrycooks) that they had in Mansfield. When the business was sold in the 70's, Sheila and Les bought the "Forest House Restaurant" in Edwinstowe where she worked until retirement in the mid 80's.

Sheila met Les met whilst out horse riding in Hucknall. They both passed each other, coming from opposite directions. They were married in 1953 at the Catholic Church on Hilltop (Our Lady of Good Counsel), and moved to Nottingham and then to Mansfield to be nearer the business. Tragically, they lost their first son Peter not long after he was born. They went on to have 5 children, Michael, Bridget, Simon, Claire and Virginia, 12 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren.

Sheila had lots of interests including painting, and keeping up to date with all current affairs. In her earlier years, she was an accomplished horse rider, and was also the Nottinghamshire County junior table tennis champion. Sheila played Bridge, and was just about impossible to beat at "Knockout Whist."

Along with Les, Les's brother Leonard, and a couple of friends, Sheila was a founder member of the Mansfield and District Underwater Swimming Club, and served as the club secretary for many years although she was never actually a diver. With Leslie, they spent a lot of time in the Lake District and Derbyshire. Not long after they married, they toured Italy. They stuck a small Union Flag on the bonnet of their car. People would stand to attention when they drove by. Many happy times were also spent on Anglesey at the family caravan where we used to go to with the diving club. As a family, we also had holidays touring Scotland, camping along the way.

Sheila has always been a "people person" and was involved with many other organisations during the course of her life. She would always go out of her way to talk to and listen to people, taking note of any concern or problem that they might have had and always sought to get a resolution She was a member of the National Federation of Self Employed, a member of the Edwinstowe Chamber of Trade, an independent member of Edwinstowe Parish Council, and both Sheila and Les served on the Dukeries Crime Prevention Panel. Sheila was also a coordinator on the local neighbourhood watch scheme in Edwinstowe. To all these organisations, Sheila gave 100% commitment.A great writer of letters, especially to the Chad and Nottingham Evening Post (now the Nottingham Post), Sheila was such a frequent contributor to the letters page of the Chad, that the editor suggested she had her own column.

Memories of growing up in a busy house include:

Giving us a spoonful of “Scott’s Emulsion” and “Liquafruta” every day before school. Both
foul tasting but it has made us what we are today :} or :{

The daily routine before school, of her kneeling down in front of us, and cleaning our faces with a
hankie or a flannel.

We had an ABC taxi every day to take us to school. We were the only pupils in St Philips to travel this
way.

Although Sheila was a non-smoker during her latter years, when she did smoke, she would ask one of us to "Just nip down to the little shop and fetch me 20 Peter Stuyvesant please." No age restriction to buying cigarettes in those days.

Sheila had a habit of dropping off to sleep in the evening’s whilst watching TV. Often not going up to bed
until 3 or 4 in the morning.

Her health always seemed to be a bit concerning. Having high blood pressure but taking
medication to keep it in check. Spending the majority of her time in bed when
pregnant with Virginia. She and Dr Ellis used to comment on the blackbird building a nest in the
drainpipe outside her bedroom window, and then rearing their young. Despite all the health scares throughout her life, she always rallied and was told that despite everything, she had a “good strong heart,” and was not on any medication whatsoever when she died, which the nursing staff said was quite remarkable.

She loved her cups of tea, and liked leaving the teabag in until the spoon almost stood up.
We were the first household to have colour TV in the neighbourhood, and invited many neighbours around
to watch the marriage of Princess Ann and Captain Mark Phillips. Sheila also helped organise a street party
on Meadow Avenue to celebrate the Queens Silver Jubilee.

She had a "musical ear," and had a habit of listening to a tune and then playing it out (mostly note by note) on a
keyboard.

I am sure that those of you who read this will have your own special fond memories of Sheila. A truly wonderful, hardworking, loving, caring, beautiful mother, who will always be remembered in our hearts.

"May eternal rest be granted upon her, and may she rest in peace."