Thelma Homer (23 May 1935 - 5 Apr 2022)

In loving memory of Thelma Homer who sadly passed away on 5th April 2022.

About our mom ….

EARLY YEARS

Mom was born in Erdington, Birmingham on 23rd May 1935, youngest daughter of Jim & Florence Richardson , little sister to Rene and Laurie. Rene named her Thelma after the actress Thelma Todd, and mom’s nickname was Toddy. Although mom would always regret not having a middle name, if she could have changed her name, she would have liked to be called Naomi.

Mom was an unexpected surprise (our Nan was 43 and thought she was going through the change). Our grandad was at work at the Dunlop, Erdington when a messenger told him that his wife had just given birth to a baby girl! In later years, mom asked her mom, did you really not know you were having me? Our nan replied “Do you honestly think I would have let you come into the world with nothing, if I’d have known?” Neighbours had rallied round and given nan & grandad, clothes, cloths for nappies, blankets. Mom slept in a drawer from their chest of drawers as her cot.

During the war, Grandad rented a room in a house in Kenilworth for them to live in, safe from the bombings in Erdington. Shortly after the war the family moved from Erdington to 54 Elmfield Road, Castle Bromwich and the house backed onto open fields (now Smiths Wood). Mom used to talk to the German POWs who were still working the land pending their release back to Germany. She made them gifts of flowers as she always felt they needed cheering up being alone and so far from their own families.

FIRST JOB
Mom started work in the Bank at Lewis's Department store in Birmingham city centre. She really liked working with numbers, and in later years she became a book keeper.

MEETING DAD
Mom met our dad David, at the Palace in Erdington, we believe dad’s brother Eric introduced them. Dad was in the RAF at Huntingdon, Cambridge, and would travel back to see mom, when he had days off duty.
Mom and dad married 22nd December 1956, at Castle Bromwich church, it was freezing fog and snow on the ground, deliveries were affected, mom’s bouquet had to be made from what the florist had in the shop, the photographer gave them their photos, because with the fog, visibility was next to nothing. Trains and buses were delayed and they missed their train to Huntingdon, and spent their first night of married life in a B & B near the Fox & Goose. On their journey home two days later they had agreed to meet Grandad (mom’s dad) so he could give them a lift home, from Rene’s house in Kitt’s Green, grandad had waited and waited for them, then gave up and drove home. When mom and dad eventually arrived at Rene’s they then had to walk home in the snow to Castle Bromwich, mom just had her normal court shoes on, bless her.
Mom and dad lived with nan and grandad for the first couple of years, living in Nan’s front room as their own space. Dad loved nanny’s homemade apple pie.

FIRST HOME / RAISING A FAMILY
Mom and Dad eventually bought a house in Eastern Green, 32 Despard Road. Richard arrived in 1960, closely followed by Julia in 1961. In 1965, the family moved to 668 Chester Road, Kingshurst. Julia still remembers her and nan waiting in the empty living room for the removal lorry to arrive with the furniture. We all loved 668, we had two lawns, an upper and lower lawn divided by a rockery garden. We had a swing in the bottom garden which sometimes got in the way when we played Wimbledon tennis championships (one player on the top lawn, the other on the bottom lawn ... with the rockery as the net!).

Simon was born at 668, in 1967. Julia remembers racing home in her lunchtime to meet her new brother. She was so excited that afterwards coming down the stairs she fell from top to bottom. All three of us attended Fordbridge Infants, and Kingshurst Juniors, with Richard and Julia then going to Coleshill Comp. When Simon started at Smiths Wood comp, mom got a job working in the sweet shop at Arran Way.
We lived a comfortable life because mom was brought up to make do and mend, she made clothes, cut our hair and was generally chief cook and bottle washer. Mom cooked homemade food, made her own jams, marmalade, and pickled onions. We all loved her homemade rice pudding with her damson jam.

WORK
Mom had a range of jobs over the years. In the late 70s she worked at Dolland & Aitchison at Hay Mills, in the factory doing rejection analysis of the glasses. Mom bought a fold-away bike and would get a lift with dad as far as Parkinson Cowan at Stechford, then she’d get her bike out and cycle the rest of the way to work, and then cycle all the way home at home time. In the 1980s mom went to work for Mr Brown, a chartered surveyor in Smallbrook Queensway, Birmingham, she was his book keeper and loved doing her double entry book keeping. Mom also had jobs working at the Belfry (waitress), and in Dreamers (baby shop in Coleshill). Whatever job she did, she always prided herself on doing the job well.

HOUSES
In the 1980s, Mom and Dad moved from Castle Bromwich to a new estate in Dosthill, Tamworth, buying a lovely detached bungalow with a big, wide rear garden (Richard and his wife, Sue, had also moved to Dosthill a little earlier). Mom didn’t learn to drive until she was 50, and while she was still a learner driver she would tootle around Dosthill with her ‘L’ plates on driving round to Sue’s without anyone in the car with her. She used to say who’s going to think I’m a learner driver with my grey hair?

Mom and Dad then moved to Uttoxeter in the late 90s, then Cheadle (North Staffs), before moving back to Amington, Tamworth when Mom started to get some health issues.

HOBBIES / INTERESTS
Mom loved gardening, her and Dad were a good team; dad would mow the lawn and edge it, and mom would design the garden, and choose the plants, shrubs, trees. Dad became an expert patio layer and loved building flower bed walls, and making their own garden furniture.
She would also watch cricket on TV (she liked the test matches), and she'd also watch football ..... but only if the Villa were on!

Mom also loved visiting National trust places and stately homes, with Chatsworth being one of her favourites. It’s sort of become a family tradition for us all to meet at Chatsworth House, in the summer, we’d all bring our own picnic and sit together, all generations, pets as well. Mom and dad would have their flask of hot water to make tea with tea bags. Mom loved nothing better than to see all her family spending time together, she regarded Sue and Kellie as her own daughters, Pete a brother to Simon and Richard, and Kailee, Emmy, Steph and Jon as extended grand children. She was as stubborn as ever the last time we met, refusing to use the wheelchair, although, to be fair it came in handy for Madison who was feeling poorly.

She loved knitting and craftwork; every new born baby in the family was swiftly kitted out with hand knitted blankets, shawls, booties, cardigans!

Mom always loved animals, her and Dad had a budgie called Gabbi when they were first married, and then later had Toby, another budgie. We had gerbils Steven and Andrew (we laugh at their names now!) 2 rabbits, Pippa and Rosie, then a succession of dogs, Gemini, a Dalmatian, Tizzy, a Dashund, Sophie our beautiful black Labrador, and briefly, Lucy, another black labrador. The last couple of years mom has adopted a black cat called Jazz from neighbours over the road, Mom calls him “poppet”, he started off going in the greenhouse, mom bought a bed and two bowls. He is the most well fed cat I’ve ever known. Dad was reluctant at first to let him in the house, but over time, he has come in and now has a blanket folded on the settee for him to sit with them in the living room. Mom loved being needed and caring for people, animals. So Dad, take note, you have to carry on looking after Poppet now, mom will be watching you.

GRANDCHILDREN / GREAT GRANDCHILDREN
Over the years, as grandchildren arrived, mom wanted to be called Grandma as she said Nan or Nanny was a paid help. She loved all her grandchildren ... Natalie, Alex, Matt, Mike, Lauren, Ben, JD, Gabbi, Laura, and Lucas. Great grandchildren have also followed ... Amelia (with her brothers Finlay and Ollie), Madison and most recently Austin.

DIALYSIS
Unfortunately for Mom, she started to develop Kidney failure in 2008, which prompted their move from Cheadle (Staffs) back to Tamworth. This was particularly cruel for Mom given her love of days out, gardening, etc. However, Mom being Mom, she embodied the "Dunkirk" spirit and just got on with it, 3 to 4 hours every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Mom had various complications over the years, first of all from the constant Dialysis, and then more recently from Covid. Over the last 13 years she has fought and won so many health issues that we all began to believe she was indestructible. She could be very stubborn at times (who could blame her?) but she always put the needs of others' first. She was genuinely the kindest, most caring person you could meet. Whenever mom was in hospital, Julia would write letters to her. Mom loved writing and would always write back; Julia is so glad she did as she now has her letters as a reminder of her thoughts, her humour, and her love for all of us. Mom would very often draw little sketches in her letters or on birthday cards. She would sign off with S.W.A.L.K. (Sealed with a loving kiss).

Mom finally passed away on 5th April 2022 at Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham. We were very lucky that Dad, Richard, Julia and Simon were able to see her and stay with her during the day. Mom had battled enough, and we all believe she knew the time had come to take some time off from this horrible disease. She told us "I'm looking forward to seeing my Mom and Dad, and my brother and sister again".
She was at peace when she passed, and we'd like to think she embodied one of her favourite sayings,
Life is a Journey, Travel it well.

Love you Mom, and thank you for everything xxxxx