Flora Fairbank, my mum

My mum, Flora Fairbank passed away peacefully on 26 July, she was 92. My sisters (Anna and Ruth) and I couldn't have hoped for a more loving, caring or supportive mother and we feel so lucky to have had her (and our dad who she survived by just under a year) for so long. Mum's passing came as a shock, as much as it ever is for someone of her age, but she times it well as she was happiest when everyone was home. Ruth was over from New Zealand (having arrived four days earlier) I had been in Peru until just under a week before while Anna and other family members had recently visited. Mum was particularly fortunate in having Elisabeth and Ildiko taking turns to look after her (and dad) and provide companionship so caringly in her final years. They enabled her to stay in the 'family home ' despite her failing eye-sight to the end.

From a personal point of view the timing of mum's passing was significant. From mid July when home I look out for the local swifts which often fly over the house in the evening. I'd seen them every evening since returning from Peru but there were none on 26 July.when I looked just before 9pm. Ruth phoned 45 minutes later to tell me that mum had slipped away. I will forever think she went with the swifts (as I saw none on subsequent evenings either) and whenever I see swifts in future will think of her.

Flora Wall (as she was then) a month before her fourth birthday (February 1930)

family holiday on the Isles of Scilly (August 1964)

mum & dad in Botswana (mid 1980s)

mum & dad in the Alps (late 1980s?)

mum with daughters, step-daughter and first two (of five) grand daughters (summer 1990)

mum & dad in the Alps (early-mid 1990s?)

mum October 1994

mum on her 89th birthday (March 2015)

mum & dad

mum with Ildiko and Elisabeth (24 July 2018). Mum enjoyed sitting in the front garden watching passers by.