Shirley’s Eulogy

“Gotta Get This Right Sis”

I do thank this ‘famous five’, who are in fact my only nephews and niece, Adrian, Vance, Simon, for allowing me to make this tribute.

I hope they don’t regret it. Because like my sister, I do go on a bit.

My Sister Shirley

As we entered this place to join Shirley we heard ‘Moonlight Sonata.

This music reminds me exactly of 6, Princes Street, Clandown, of Shirley,who so loved that music, of our Grandfather Curtis playing that piano. Our

I have only heard Shirley really cry once , it was when leaving this place with Brian, when we lost Aunty Alma Blatchford/Curtis the only sister of our Mother. Together with Gran Curtis, Aunty Alma was a Mum to Shirley. Shirley was broken-hearted.

Shirley- She didn’t do boring.

Shirley was interesting, and interested, loving, talkative, and opinionated, and good for her, why not !

We grew up together and yet apart.

Our Mum, Gladys Curtis/Yeates, died in 1938 of Sepsis/Appendicitis at just 21 years old. Shirley was two and a half. I was a year old.

Shirley was raised from that age by our Mother’s Curtis Parents.

I was given to our Father’s Yeates Parents.

I understood these were our dying Mother’s wishes.

Through the years, I often whinged to Shirley about our different unusual childhood.

Shirley was cross, and reminded me, how lucky we were to have such loving grandparents. They took us on, in their middle age, and did so much for us.

Our Grandparents made sure we visited each other, keeping the brother and sister bond strong as we grew up.

I love my Clandown Curtis family, and I am so very proud of my elder sister Shirley.

And no less, my brother (-in-law) Brian, who, with his Lambretta scooter in my young years, was a hero to me—and he still is.

I also think our special childhood shaped us, making us determined, independent and self-willed.

Both of us were determined to be ‘Family First’ when we married.

Shirley and Brian grew up together with their children it seemed, because they too enjoyed joining in.

Shirley simply loved life and family and the extended family.

Shirley enjoyed her always eventful young family. Enjoying with them all the exciting new 70’S gadgets they acquired and modern stuff.

Shirley and Brian’s “famous five” children, had great family adventures with their trucker CB radios and their Pop Group Spiral Highway/Sabre renditions of “Hi Ho Silver Lining” etc at some funny/odd gig venues.

Great memories of those Gigs in the 70’s.. Which we enjoyed together.

Our Daughters Sharon and Stephanie loved belonging too, belonging with their cousins.

Shirley and Brian (RAF) supported me at many of my Paulton Arnhem Remembrances. After Brian’s passing, Shirley continued to attend on her own. She was still amazing with her terrific spirit—like the time she hitched a lift back to Radstock from Paulton aged 84, in an open-air WWII Jeep, her lovely hair flowing in the wind. Not the best idea in your 80s but classic defiant Shirley!

Shirley’s life was her family.

Working tirelessly to make holidays special, the family’s love of Cornwall, arose out of those holidays, and so much so, Now the family of nephew Adrian and neice Sally live there.

Shirley’s loving personality was steadfast. Shirley liked to get involved in all things, maybe perhaps interfering in all things, hoping to do good, to solve matters, just as I still do.

Shirley’s special positive personality and character endeared her to everyone who knew her.

Shirley, together with my Curtis family cousins Bernice, Trev, Sandra, and Jackie have always made me feel that I too belonged, although separated from my sister.

That Clandown affectionate way they called me…. “ Our Pete” …that made me feel special.

The way that my cousins still refer to our Mother Gladys as ‘Aunty Glad’, prolongs for me our Mother’s memory.

Isn’t that nice ?

My cousin Sandra recently put it best: “Shirley will be missed.”

Shirley’s last difficult years were marked with some confusion, yet Shirley still kept holding on. Yet through her last years of stubborn difficulty, there was jollity, laughter, and her great spirit.

I’m so grateful to my nephew Simon for the lifeline, keeping me updated and close. My girls love their Aunty Shirley. Thank you Sharon and husband Ian, for sharing Shirley’s last days. Stephanie and Pete are so sorry not to be here.

A Shirley story

With my daughter Sharon and our only granddaughter Sophie, both of whom have Shirley’s lovely bubbly optimistic personality, there was, what I can only described as a Bath RUH Hospital party. Shirley had the lot of us, in her last hours, including the nurse in stitches of laughter

As a tell this tale, you must remember now, Shirley and I were brought up as Methodists.

As we sat around Shirley’s bed having a cheerful chat, Shirley asked what are you going to do after this visit ? I gave a lame excuse, but in true Shirley fashion, she gave me an order: She said “Take the girls shopping,” she said. She repeated this suggestion a few times. I didn’t listen, so she made herself clearer, in no uncertain terms, finally lost patience and said - “right now piss off, and spend some money.”

Shirley might have entered this world with a baby’s whimper, but she left that afternoon with a bang.

Even the well-chosen leaving music when we leave from here today,it fits Shirley exactly.

Now my sister Shirley, a rest she shall have, and peace she shall have, and in the long green grass, she is free from confusion and worry and reunited with the Mother we never knew.

Shirley leaves me and all of us an encouraging optimistic example. For me maybe, so … Gonna take some time to do the things we never had. Maybe even ‘Bless the rains down in Africa’

Now I am going to listen to my Sister and push off.