Christine Elizabeth Russell (7 Aug 1944 - 28 Apr 2021)

We would like to thank everyone for your kind and generous donations in memory of mum. Thank you too to everyone that attended the funeral and to those who also joined via the streaming link. This will remain live for 28 days for anyone that couldn't attend.
Mum's biography follows below.

In loving memory of Christine Elizabeth Russell who sadly passed away on 28th April 2021

The funeral service will be streamed and can be viewed:
Website: https://www.obitus.com/
Username: figa5773
Password: 315903

Diabetes is a charity close to Christine's heart. Her eldest daughter, Deborah, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1980. Deborah's son Conor (Christine's grandson) was also diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2006. Christine and the whole family have always been passionate supporters of Diabetes UK.
All donations are gratefully received with sincere thanks and love in memory of Christine.

Christine (Mum) was born on Monday 7th August 1944. For the first 8 months of her life, she lived with her Mum (our Nan), and her older siblings: two sisters (Joan and Ann) and brother (Dennis). Mum’s Dad (our Grandad) was in Belgium, fighting in the war.

Her eldest sister, dearest Joan, looked after her like a Mum as she was 13 years older, which helped Nan out while she worked. Mum started school at Stewart Flemming, which was just over the road from where she lived at the time, in Warwick Road, Anerley SE20.

When Grandad was back from the war and Nan was working, a lady over the road looked after Mum. She showed Mum how to cook, which Mum enjoyed. When Mum was older, she went to Balgowan school and made best friends with a girl called Janet Green. They later lost touch.

Mum moved to Upper Elmer’s End Road, Beckenham, and regularly went to the Black Cat café at Elmer’s End and joined the local gang. Nan and Grandad were not happy about this and asked her to stop. She ran away on her bike, to Eastbourne to friends of Nan and Grandad’s. Grandad and Dennis had to go and bring her back.

Mum worked in Olbey’s department store in Penge where she met Brian (our Dad) through our late Nan Harding (Brian’s mum). They started to go out. Mum got a job in the hairdressers at Eden Park, called Charles and Beryl Garney. Mum worked there for a while until after she was married.

Mum got married to Dad on 4th January 1965. She left from Joan’s house as that was nearer to Penge for the wedding ceremony.

Nan and Grandad retired and moved to Melrose Crescent in Orpington; mum still lived with them until mum married. Mum was still working at the hairdressers in Eden Park, so Nan and Grandad bought Mum a Lambretta to travel to and from work. Mum and Dad moved several times after they were married.

In 1967, they had their first child, Deborah. They then had another child each year after until they had completed their family, Mark, Andrew, and Karen. They moved and settled in Charing Close, Orpington, next door to Dennis. Mum then worked in the hairdressers, Carousel in Farnborough Village. Here she met lifelong friends in Yvonne and her husband Alan.

Brian had a brother George who was married to Pauline, who mum has always been close to and she adored her nieces Felicity and Stefanie.

Mum later did mobile hairdressing, and we can all remember going with her to various clients and waiting in the car while she worked. She would take us to the nearest chippy, and buy us a mince and onion pie or one of mum’s favourites, a Cornish pastie. Mum also worked hairdressing for the patients in Orpington hospital. We all remember this well; we used to take it in turns to help Mum in the school holidays by wheeling the patients on the wards to and from the hairdressing room. The patients used to give us Tips so we all loved helping!

Everyone knows that Mum loved a party! She would get us all on the floor doing, ‘oops upside your head’. The parties used to end up in the street, with Mum leading the Conga. Organised mum would always get the tidying up done that night so when we all woke up in the morning, there would not be a single trace of a party even happening.

We all lived at Charing Close for several years until we moved to Foxbury Road in Bromley where Mum and Dad opened a shop. Nan moved in with us too. Karen moved to Orpington with Charlie and Sam.

When the shop closed, Mum, Dad, Nan, Debs, Mark, and Andy moved to Holmesdale Road in Bromley. Mum started work at Greenhill residential care and nursing home in Bromley. Mum was highly thought of and became a Care Manager very quickly. She was extremely happy there.

Mum, Dad, Nan, Debs, Mark, and Andy moved to Eldred Drive in Orpington, just round the corner from where I was living with Charlie and Sam.

A few years after losing Dad, Mum met Terry and took early retirement from work. They married in 2004. They both lived in Haddon Road and even though they moved a couple of times they stayed in Orpington. When they moved to their flat in Tintagel Road they were both supported by carers. Terry sadly passed away in 2019. Mum struggled being on her own, particularly since Covid hit.

With our partners, Shane, Michelle, Clare, and Tony we all supported mum as much as we could. She loved all of you like she did us. It made her incredibly happy that we all have amazing partners and wonderful families. We know how grateful she was to all of you, thank you.

In 2020 mum had a tragic fall in her flat breaking her leg which limited her mobility even more than the restricted mobility she had.

In March this year, she moved in with Debs, Shane, Conor, and Liam. She felt very settled knowing that she was not on her own anymore. Her health declined very quickly, and she passed peacefully on 28th April.

Mum always said how much she loved us and how proud she was of all of us. She brought us up to be kind and caring, just like she was. She was always there for us, whenever we needed her.

Mum adored all her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and nothing made her happier than being around them all. Being around family made Mum particularly happy, with her sisters, brother, sister-in-law, nieces, nephews, and her own immediate family. Family was her top priority and especially important to Mum.

She had a happy life and always loved seeing us as we loved seeing her. Mum we love you and miss you, but we are comforted that you are now at peace.

Sleep tight.

With so much love forever
Debs, Mark, Andy & Karen
x x x x