Irene Eaton (4 Jan 1938 - 23 Jan 2021)

In loving memory of Irene Eaton who sadly passed away on 23rd January My Mum was born in 1938 on Beechdale Road in Nottingham, the daughter of Ernie and Reenie Hopkinson. Ernie was a miner at Cotgrave Colliery amongst other things, and Reenie worked at John Players cigarette factory, having also worked on the railways.
Mum had a brother Bill, who passed away around 4o years ago and a sister Joyce who is here with us today.
Although Joyce was the younger sister, she will always say that she looked after my mum by 'sticking up' for her when needed. They were very close as sisters and they remained so throughout her life.
Mary went to John Players school and when she left at 14, she became a seamstress, working in the Nottingham textile industry.
She met my father Brian Richardson at the Palais in Nottingham as many people did and they married in 1957 on Mum's birthday, 4th January.. They eventually bought a house in Chilwell, where I was born in 1960.
She was a great mum, she cooked, sewed, knitted and was always around to support me.
Mum had a number of jobs outside the textile industry, being a 'Dinner lady' at Nether Street school, she worked at Jessops in the childrens shoes department and eventually worked as a Crown Court usher.
My father Brian died at a young age and quite suddenly in 1991, but later Mary found companionship in Derek Eaton and they were eventually married. Derek passed away in September 2017.
Not only was she a great mum, she was also a caring Grandmother, who will be remembered for coming to baby sit every week for her Granddaughter Anna to support her daughter in law Joy in continuing to work. At the time of her passing, she has three great grandchildren, Grace 12 and Cooper (nearly) 2 the children of her grandson James and his wife Jeanette and Inca (nearly) 3, the daughter of Anna and her husband Phil.
After Dereks death, Mary's health declined quite quickly as she needed hospital treatment for a hip replacement and was diagnosed with both Cancer and Dementia.
The past three years were a struggle in terms of health and welfare and she needed the full-time residential care provided by Falcon House from February 2020. This was the last time we were able to be together until she contracted Covid 19 and myself and my wife Nadia were able to be with her in her final hours.