Janet Hammond (4 Jun 1938 - 18 Mar 2021)

Below is a part of Jan's Eulogy it summaries her life beautifully...

Jan's funeral will be held on the 16th April at 13:00 at Mansfield Crematorium please see above...

Jan was born Janet Garland on the 4th June 1938, just before WW2 in Grimsby to her parents Marjorie and Cyril and had a brother Ray and a sister Lesley. Jan was a very free spirited young girl, but she did struggle at school somewhat. Jan was dyslexic, something that is widely recognised today with lots of help available, but back in the 1940's and early 50's it was not a condition that was widely recognised and as such Jan would be looked on as slow and difficult to deal with in class, as we know that is not the case, but Jan, although she had her confidence knocked to a degree decided she was not going to be a victim and set about focusing her efforts at school to prove the teachers wrong, a trait that would stay with Jan throughout her life. Jan would spend a lot of her life helping others and making a difference to peoples lives, so the schooling aside I think it's safe to say that Jan had a nice childhood. We have to remember that things were different back then though, money was tight. The war was was in full flow as was rationing, but it was still a happy time for Jan and she enjoyed a very loving time which gave her very fond memories.

After leaving school Jan would begin work in a shoe shop where she excelled and was recognised as a hard worker, no doubt displaying those old school values of a good days work for a good days pay and was certainly a young lady who had a positive outlook on life, anything was possible in Jan's mind, a lady of the keep calm and carry on brigade and a lady who believed in rolling your sleeves up and finding a solution, that was Jan's nature, that was her character and in fact she did have the chance to come to Nottingham to study, but was persuaded it would not be a good idea, but Jan was not a lady to be held back but it would take a few years for her to revisit this opportunity and really show her doubters they were wrong.

If we go back to when Jan was in her late teens early 20's she meets a young man who she would spend the next 30 years with, a man called Malcolm Hammond. They would marry in 1959 and would remain married for 30 years and for the vast majority of that time they were very happily married, ups & downs as in all marriages, but a happy time for Jan. They did go their separate ways in 1989. Jan and Malcolm would soon start their family with Steven being born first followed by Michael a year later and then David 8 years later in 1970. A mum of her time, a traditional mum, maybe even an old fashioned mum we may say today, but a mum like mum's used to be. Jan gave up work to bring up her family and was never happier than when she was a full time housewife and mother to the 4 most important people in her life. Malcolm was a member of a Jazz band and they would regularly host parties that included live jazz music from Malcolm and his friends with Jan being the host, she was a perfect host, loved the social side of it all and just loved being around the people she loved most in her life.

Jan was a loving mum, a caring mum and a nurturing and supportive mum. The positivity and glass half full attitude she so possessed was something she would constantly pass onto her 3 sons, she would tell them that anything was possible and to never give up on their dreams, that's just who Jan was, someone who would think of others before herself. Jan would soon recognise some of the dyslexia traits in her sons and as you would expect from Jan, she would do anything and everything in her power to support them and to minimise the effect it had on their schooling and achievements. Jan knew how it could affect a child, she knew only too well, but was determined to make a difference to not only her 3 sons but to others too. Jan was a doer, someone who would roll her sleeves up and find a solution so in 1975 with her 3 sons all still in school, Jan formed a society called "1 to 1" to help others with learning difficulties, not just those with dyslexia but anyone with any form of difficulty learning. Jan set this up at Grimsby college and to this day is helping people in and around Grimsby.

Jan was a lady who inspired others, someone who was not prepared to just accept what she was being told, but someone who wanted to make a difference, to leave a legacy, something only a select few get to achieve, but Jan, is certainly a lady who left a legacy that will carry on long after her death.

This role had been a voluntary role, but people were now seeing who the real Jan Hammond was and this was recognised none more so than when she was offered a job to work with and support children and adults with Down Syndrome, this of course allowed Jan to shine, allowed the world to see what she had to offer and allowed her to start to think again about achieving her real potential.

Now she was sharing this skill with a far wider circle of people, this gave Jan the confidence to return to the classroom and in 1980 started to study at Grimsby college for a City and Guilds in adult education and learning difficulties. This would have been a tough decision for Jan, this was out of her comfort zone, meeting her demons head on, but with the help of her family and friends and the study groups that were created to help Jan verbalise her thinking before putting it to paper, she graduated. This was an occasion where the family would join her at Nottingham Guild Hall, Jan had come full circle, Jan had spent her life wanting to prove those teachers wrong, to prove that the little girl who they used to make stand in the corner was now on stage, graduating at the guild hall in Nottingham.

Jan then secured a job as a manager for a call in centre for the homeless and struggling adults in Nottingham, Jan would remain working here, making that difference she always wanted to until she retired, helped by
her dog Benny of course, a constant companion who would also help to provide support to the residents. Jan was someone who despite constantly being told otherwise knew her worth was so much more than being told to stand in that corner. Not bad for a girl who was slow and difficult, or should we say, not bad for a girl who always had it in her, it just needed a chance to show itself.

Jan would set up home in Newstead village and was a big part of that community, organising dance classes and local festivals. Jan made many friends and was liked by many. Jan was one of life's achievers, she was a fighter, someone who just kept getting up, she had dreams, she realised them and I think the greatest thing about it all is that she did it against the odds, she looked it in the eye and met it head on, and won, a really inspirational lady.

Even through her dementia she would strive to find ways to delays the effect, always looking to beat it and would still be looking to help and support others with the condition

Jan in the main was a happy and content lady. She was happy with her lot. Jan didn't worry about what the person standing next to her had, didn't worry about new cars, big houses, or other material things in life that seem so important to people these days, In the end Jan had everything she ever needed or ever wanted. She'd had someone in Malcolm who she'd shared so many wonderful years with, she had her 3 sons, of whom she was immensely proud and of course she had her grandchildren so yes, with her personal development achievements and her role in helping others, Jan was a very happy and content lady. If wealth was measured in how much you are loved and respected by those around you then I think in that regard Jan was a very wealthy lady indeed.

Jan was honest, she was loving, she was caring, she was selfless, she loved to help others, do anything for anyone, she was loyal, dependable, a lady of integrity and a lady of stature.

If you knew Jan in some way or another you will all have had your lives made just that little bit better because of it, she was someone who will have made you all laugh, someone who will have made you all at some point feel rather special, someone who would have helped in some way, no matter in what way, Jan improved your lives, you all loved her for who she was, someone who thought of others before herself and someone who didn't expect much in return from those closest to her. Now that's a great attribute to have, one you can't say about everyone, not expecting much in return from other people.

The following is a poem called “She is Gone” by David Harkins and the words tell you how Jan would like to be remembered by all of you.

She Is Gone

You can shed tears that she is gone
Or you can smile because she has lived

You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back
Or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left

Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her
Or you can be full of the love that you shared

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday

You can remember her and only that she is gone
Or you can cherish her memory and let it live on

You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back
Or you can do what she would want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

We thank you Jan for being a wonderful daughter and sister, we thank you for being a wonderful Mother and Grandma, we thank you for being a wonderful wife and we thank you for being such a wonderful friend to so many and for helping all of those people you helped throughout your life, but most of all Jan, we thank you for just being you, because being you was who you were and being you was all you ever needed to be.

Jan was a Mum and Grandma first, everything else, despite how much she loved it came second.

Jan passed away on the 18th March. She was 82 years old.