Farewell

A sad day today as we said farewell to - and also celebrated the life of - Catherine Stewart. Her surviving husband had known her for 75 years; 72 of which they had been married.

Our parents got to know Catherine and her husband when each couple was bidding for the same house in the mid 1960s: the Stewarts won that bid.

They discovered they had friends and a lot in common and a wider friendship was born. Our families met often: in and out of each other's houses for parties etc.

We had a family holiday together (they were with me when I had a burst appendix in Andorra) and in later life when “the children” had grown up the four of them went on holiday for 18 years.

Catherine was one of twins: her brother did not survive. She was so tiny they did not think she would either. But she did, being drip fed milk with a fountain pen.

So she was part of our family life for me for over 50 years. Her ill health in recent years dimmed the link but the memories of a fun loving person, a great cook, a person with an encyclopaedic memory all remain.