Judith Jones (25 Feb 1950 - 26 Feb 2021)

We are heartbroken to have to share the news that our Mum, Judith Jones, passed away on the 26th February 2021, the day after her 71st birthday.

Mum was born in Barnsley to Mildred and Jack Mosley, and was their only child. She would tell us about her early memories of helping her Mum and Dad in their butchers shop, filling pork pies with jelly for pocket money at the weekend. She hated doing it, and never looked at a pork pie the same way again.

Mum loved dogs. From her childhood she always had a furry companion by her side, and throughout her life and into her final years that trend remained. Her last dog, Angel, was a dutiful and loyal companion. Angel always greeted people with a happy twinkle in her eyes, and was adored by Mum and the whole Family. An earlier Pet, Shelly, a typically boisterous and energetic springer spaniel was another favourite of Mums. She would delight in telling the tales of Shelly's exploits, escaping from the back yard by scaling an 8 foot fence to go exploring, and the time she jumped clean though a huge bay window to greet the postman.

Mum went to Racecommon Road Junior and Infants school, and proved herself quite academically gifted. Her School reports from almost every class showed that she lacked ability in few areas. The only class she utterly failed was P.E. Mum was never the type for sports, although she was a semi-willing participant in Family trips to the Sports Centre where we would all play Badminton. Mum would play, but only if you hit the shuttle directly to her. If she had to move to hit it back, she would just give a disappointed look in your direction and waft the shuttle back along the floor under the net and wait for the next one to come in range.

She aced her way through early Academia and loved to learn, but was devastated when her parents decided that she shouldn’t go into further education, and should instead go straight into a job following school.

From here Mum worked as an assistant at a chemists shop, then moved on to be employed as a bank teller in her early 20’s at Midland Bank. Around this time, on her way to work, Mum noticed that Dad, who lived two doors away from her, had started to get the same bus as her into work every morning. Dad noticed too, and made sure he was on that same bus every morning from then on. Dad’s punctuality and persistence paid off, and they became an item soon after. Within a year of becoming a couple, in December 1972 the two were married, and moved in to Mum's parents house to live together for their first year of marriage while they saved to buy their first home.

That first home turned out to be on Blackburn Street in Barnsley. They started from the bottom, had very little money, and didn’t even have proper furniture or a television to begin with, and sat on deckchairs in the living room. Despite this, both Mum and Dad remembered this as a very happy time in their early married life.

Dad was an avid brass bandsman, and Mum supported and joined in his passion. In the beginning Mum wasn't a big fan of the amount of time this took up, but after a while both became fully immersed in the brass band world, travelling to and from competitions with many bands including Rockingham and Stocksbridge where they made many life long friends.

After their move to Blackburn Street, not much time went by before they had two children, Zena and Matthew, and they moved to their family home on Frederick Avenue. Mum left her job at the Midland Bank to look after Zena and Matthew as children, but as they started to go to school full time, Mum re-entered the workforce and began working as a Dinner Lady where she gained the moniker, Grotbags, being nick-named by the kids after an 80's children's TV show star of the time, due to her flamboyant perm. Not long passed and she quickly moved on to join the team at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park where she utilised her skills in shorthand, typing and office administration. She loved it there and found a passion working within the arts and education communities.

Following this, Mum then joined The Open College of the Arts, where she would excel and worked tirelessly on a project that she fell in love with. On her very first day working there she made her mark quite indelibly by skidding her car off the steep, icy road into a field just next to where the college offices were situated. She had to be dragged out from the field by a tractor, but saw the day out and thankfully never repeated it. At the OCA, she was one of a small team that built the college from a fledgling business to an international organisation, from pen and paper through the to the digital age, and eventually gained the position of Assistant Director. She would work into the late evenings frequently, and was even known to pull a desk together in the back garden during the summer, wiring a telephone outside to her workspace so she could enjoy the sun and still put the hours in. Mobile Phones and Laptops were virtually unheard of back then so this was unusual to say the least, but she made it work somehow.

Mum met many people and made many friends in the arts and charity sectors, with whom she stayed in touch throughout her life.

Unfortunately, Mum was forced to retire through ill health many years later, but as one door closed, another opened and the family welcomed their grandchildren Daniel and William, who kept their grandparents duly occupied going forwards. Mum loved her grandchildren completely, and looked after Daniel and William when they were babies as Zena returned to work.

After Mum’s retirement, she and Dad found they had more time to pursue their passion for travel and bought themselves a camper van, and with it explored most of the UK and Europe. They also took Holidays further afield to India, China, Cuba, Egypt and the USA. Mum remembered Hawaii and Cuba as two of their favourite holidays together, and many happy memories were found there for them both. Whale watching and swimming with Turtles were amongst the highlights of these trips, and they both hoped to one day return to Cuba. Sadly, this wasn't to be but they had Photos and memories to take them back there in the final years of their lives together.

On the 19th of December 2020, we lost Dad to Prostate Cancer, 49 years into their marriage and decades sooner than was necessary. Sadly it wouldn't be long before they were again together, as Mums health quickly worsened in the following weeks. Mum survived a car crash, helicopter rides, and even COVID19, but losing Dad was just one step too far. After Dads passing she moved into her daughters home, as her health worsened further and it became necessary to provide daily care. She was not to be alone, and when the time came she took her last breaths in the bosom of her family, with everyone by her side, holding her hand.

Mum was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a friend, and she will be missed by those who knew her.

We love you Mum, so very much, we will miss you xxx