Eulogy for Eunice Fletcher Our Mum from Andrew Fletcher, on behalf of David, Graham and Elaine. Mum first caught Stan’s eye by virtue of being the closest friend of Stan’s sister Lorna. Later, Stan told Eunice that he had thought she was a lovely girl on meeting her and had been waiting for her to grow up (which was just as well, as she was only 11 ½ at the time!) He might have felt he was overstepping the mark with that, as he immediately joined the Merchant Navy. However, on his return they were married in 1959 and Dave was born in September 1960. They obviously thought that things were going too well, so mum gave birth to me in March 1963. We lived in Arkles Lane, right next to Liverpool’s ground, which helped cover up my screams! Fearful of the noise pollution authorities, we moved to The Wirral in 1965. Food was a challenge rather than a pleasure in the 1970’s and the family subsisted on a diet of faggots and Angel Delight. How we yearned for the days of food rationing! Mum quickly gained a reputation as a ruthless cook and we were complicit in these crimes by setting the table, when really we should have been smashing all the plates and hiding the cutlery. The real villain, however, was Stan: a man of few words, who really should have mentioned that he had been a chef. Mum took her mind off the indigestion by creating some lovely paintings in oil and this became one of her main hobbies in the 1970s. Mum had worked as a Sunday School teacher in Liverpool and drew on her religious faith and powers of forgiveness to cope with the indignity of David declaring himself an Everton fan. Graham arrived in July 1968, followed by a long sought-after daughter, Elaine, in October 1970, offering mum the opportunity to break the long-held Whitby record of washing the most nappies! Stan, in a desperate attempt to avoid having any more children, did as many night shifts at Vauxhalls as he could. Alongside looking after the four of us and Dad, Mum even had the energy to work part-time mornings at a local toddler group. She was a fantastic mother, very self-sacrificing and I remember her saying in later years that by the time she could afford to buy herself decent clothes, her figure wasn’t as nice. Mum was also very forgiving of all our quirks and the kind of behaviour that would have made The Adams family blush! In the early 1980’s, mum started working as a Librarian at The Countess of Chester Hospital. She was a very diligent worker there for the next 20 years, enjoying every minute of it and making many friends, including her very close friend Barbara. A life-long, committed Royalist, Mum was also thrilled to meet Prince Charles and Lady Diana, through this role. With the additional income and free from the younger Munsters, Mum and Dad were able to enjoy some lovely holidays in Europe and further afield, visiting Don and Jan in The States. When Stan’s health started to fail, Eunice took the brave step of learning to drive. With a tremendous feat of determination (on the part of her Instructor), Mum successfully passed her test on the second attempt. Well into her 70’s Eunice drove up to visit us in The Midlands and once the ejector seat had been fitted and crash helmets had been purchased, we all felt completely safe alongside her in the passenger seat! Sadly, Dad passed away in 2006 from Parkinson’s disease and Mum struggled to cope, finding solace in her family and her cat, Tiddles. Like Dad, Tiddles was diabetic and before Dad died, Mum selflessly tended to their care needs, making sure she didn’t mix up their respective medications. Shortly after Dad died, Mum was fortunate to meet Bert Fletcher, Stan’s cousin (who had sent her a condolence letter) and her zest for life returned. They enjoyed attending art classes together and both painted some beautiful water colours. Mum even took up walking and this was some feat, considering that one of her favourite sayings was “You’re not going to walk there, are you?” After a walk with ourselves and Bert in the Cotswolds, she famously declared that she felt as if she’d joined the army. Unfortunately, Bert passed away in 2008, which was a total shock to us all. We all rallied round and Bert’s son David, who we had got to know well was a great help to Eunice, as he lived locally. Mum looked upon him as another son (without the nappies to wash!) and we now all fondly consider that he has official status as a member of the family, whether he likes it or not! Mum had a keen interest in music, particularly classical but she also enjoyed a broad range of popular music, ranging from The Beatles to Adele, George Ezra and Michael Kiwanuka. On the classical front, Mum was a great supporter of Dave and Gills’ singing in the Birmingham Symphony Chorus, attending many of their performances. She was even given special dispensation to watch rehearsals at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester and was thrilled to see how a concert was put together. Outside the home, mum also enjoyed theatre, cinema and eating out. Being extremely generous, she would get skinned to the bone when she came to visit. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Frank and Joans’ two daughters, Lucy and Jill, for all their hard work in putting together a fantastic surprise 80th birthday part in Liverpool for Eunice and Frank. Many thanks also, to Don and Jan, for including mum in a number of cruise holidays in Europe and last year’s trip to Rutland Water in Leicestershire. I prefer not to dwell too much upon Mum’s final years, which were difficult to witness but would like to thank Frank and Joan for their numerous visits; Graham and Elaine who came over to spend much appreciated quality time with Mum. Also thanks to my dear friend Liz, and to Ruth who both visited mum at home, in hospital and at Hinderton Mount residential care home in Neston. Like Bert’s David, they were vital local links. Finally, I would like to thank my brother and best friend Dave, for his unstinting support for Mum, and Gill, for helping with all the funeral arrangements. Dave would literally drop everything and drive up North to be by mum’s side. On their last night together, they listened to a BBC Radio performance of Belshazzar’s Feast by the Birmingham Symphony Chorus. Mum was smiling throughout. Mum was kind, caring and generous. She had a fantastic sense of humour and loved to laugh and be around close friends and her extended family. She leaves behind a fantastic legacy and a huge void in the lives of all who knew her. And so, Farewell mum, thank you for everything, forever in our hearts.