Catherine Mary Harrison (1 May 1932 - 4 Dec 2020)

In loving memory of Catherine Mary Harrison who sadly passed away on 4th December 2020 aged 88 years.

Catherine Mary Harrison nee McClean was born at home in Turvey Avenue, Donabate, Co Dublin on the 1st of May 1932. She was one of four children, Pat, Mary, Catherine and Elizabeth (Lily). When her sister Lily was born she was taken out of school to stay at home to look after her baby sister, she was 11 years of age. Leaving school at 11 you would think that this would have held her back in later life. Not so, when she moved over to Wales she would attend night school to learn how to bake, sew , which she excelled in. Her brother Pat gave her some sound advice when she left home... Read, Read, Read. This she did until the last couple of weeks of her life. She would read the newspaper from cover to cover every day.
Catherine came over from Ireland in 1953 aged 21. On arrival she resided in Bangor in North Wales and worked at the Eye Hospital in the same city. Towards the end of the 1950's she decided to move to London where she worked in one of the numerous hotels within the city. She loved London, there are numerous stories to tell from her time in the City, but the famous one was her bumping into the Queen (literally!) on her way home from work one night. The Queen was attending a function in one of the hotels and was entering through the back door; mum bumped into her, they exchanged pleasantries and then carried on with their lives. It was in London she first met William (Bill) Harrison and they subsequently married in 1961. Bill was from Chilwell, so after the wedding they moved up to Nottingham, starting out married life in a flat in West Bridgford before moving in July 1962 to Hickings Lane, Stapleford. It was here she lived for the next 58 years.
Catherine and Bill had three children, Karen, Paul and Eamon. Being a stay at home mum until the mid 70's she then got a part time job working in a local shop. However, every summer Catherine, Bill and the children would return home to Ireland catching up with the family and having lazy days on the strand (beach) weather permitting! Mum was part of this parish for 58 years. Through the years she has helped out with numerous fund raising events for the church. The one I am most proud of though is the unknown fact that it was Mum and her friend Beryl Meehan who walked the streets of Stapleford and Bramcote in 1967/68, collecting signatures to send to the council so a school bus could be put on to take the children of the parish to the English Martyrs’ School in Long Eaton. To this day that bus still runs.
Life continued like this until 1991 when Bill passed away on the 19th December aged 60 years. The family was naturally devastated. Catherine being a very independent lady continued to work but still managed to travel home to Ireland to her Mother a couple of times a year. She became a loving Grandmother to Sarah, Rebecca and Tara and spent many school holidays looking after the girls whether it be in Coningsby in Lincolnshire or Lyneham in Wiltshire. The girls would often go and stay with her where they would always be utterly spoilt. Further down the line she became a Great Grandmother to Ellie and Jake, Sarah's two children.
Catherine was a very keen follower of Sport, her passion being Tennis. Every year for two weeks when we were growing up, we were left to our own devices to look after ourselves while she watched every moment of Wimbledon! Meals were cooked in between games! With the dawn of satellite TV she could now find tennis on 24 hours a day from all around the world, she loved it.
As the years passed by Catherine twice became very ill, but each time her strength and determination pulled her through. She continued to go home to Ireland with Karen and Andy each year, staying with and having a good old catch up with her younger sister Lily. Her last visit home to her beloved Ireland was in September 2019.
Catherine was loved by everyone she knew. Being renowned for her wicked sense of humour and always having a lovely twinkle in her eyes. But most of all what I realised in these last few months was that she was a very proud mother and grandmother. Her two boys Paul and Eamon were her pride and joy. When she would talk about them and even at the end her face would light up when they entered the room to see her. And me her first born, I have been her rock for the past few years, being there through the illnesses, encouraging, supporting her. Mum I’m afraid your rock has crumbled. Her passing has now left a big void in the lives of all the family, and she is going to be missed so much more than simple words could ever say. Dads waiting for you......
Nanight Mum, God Bless