Jennifer Louise Childs (1 Feb 1942 - 16 Aug 2015)

In loving memory of Jennifer Louise Childs who sadly passed away on 16th August 2015

Jenny was born in Lydney in the Forest of Dean the younger sister of Margaret. Educated at Bells Grammar School she went to Leicester University where she studied Sociology. She graduated in 1963.. It was there where she met John. She started her teaching career at a primary school in Leicester. She married John in 1965. They lived for a year in Leicester before moving to Exeter in 1966. Their first son, Daniel, was born in 1968 and youger son Duncan in 1971. In 1972 John got a job in Cambridge and they lived in St Ives. Jenny stayed at home to look after the boys until both were at school, when she began Supply Teaching and was then appointed full-time at Somersham Primary School
where she taught for twenty years until taking early retirement in 1997.

Jenny's first grandchild, Tom, was born in 2003. From that time her life became centred on the grandchildren. Madeleine was born in 2005, Harry in 2007 and Lottie in 2014. She visited them or had them to visit, at every opportunity, spending hours playing with them, reading to them, singing with them the many songs she had used as a teacher.

For three years she was a volunteer Portage teacher, visiting the homes of disabled children to teach them basic communication skills. She joined the local Ramblers and with friend Liz, led many walks, loving the company and the pub lunches! Later she joined a keep-fit class where she made many new friends. When the classes finished a group decided to meet every month and go for a walk that Jenny would lead, and included pub lunches! They also met every Christmas for a party. They called themselves the Tuesday Girls and they became very special to Jenny. She walked every month with them until she became too ill. For the last years Jenny was doing a Keep Fit class and two Pilates classes a week, loving the friendship she formed with others doing the same classes.

July 24th 2015 was Jenny's Golden Wedding. For virtually the whole year before she had been planning a week end at a luxury hotel with the whole family, including ,of course, her grandchildren.. The weekend was booked early in the year. It became the most important time of her life. When she knew she had cancer, and was very ill in June and early July it seemed like she would not make it but her determination was massive. She held herself together for the weekend, walking further than she had in weeks, eating better than she had in weeks. She, and we, her family had a great time together. Two days after her return she was in hospital, ten days later in the hospice. She died on August 16th. She was smiling and laughing through the whole of her illness and died peacefully and contentedly.