Beryl Joan Churchill

“The loss is immeasurable but so is the love left behind.”

Beryl passed away peacefully at home on 9th May 2021, knowing she was loved & cared for by her devoted family.

Beryl aged 90 years, the beloved Wife of The Late John. Loving Mum of Stephen & Nicholas and Cherished Nana & Great Nana who will be sadly missed and remembered with affection by all her family & friends.

A celebration for the life of Beryl took place at Crewe Crematorium Chapel on Wednesday 26th May.

For further information about Beryl’s funeral, and to offer your condolences, please go to our website on www.josephoconnell.co.uk /recently deceased or telephone our Funeral Home on 01270 584447

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Beryl was such a lovely lady, a beautiful soul who gave everyone faith in human nature. She was caring, thoughtful and modest and would do anything for anyone, especially her family.  She wasn’t materialistic in the slightest – she was super resourceful and hated waste and she had a solution for any problem!
She wouldn’t have wanted her loved ones to grieve through tear filled clouds, her solution would be to smile and remember the wonderful memories she gifted you. She was a devoted wife to the late John and following his retirement in 1990, she nursed him through dementia until his death in
2013 and she even used to visit his sister Hilda to help with her care towards the end of her life. Beryl was a cherished mum to Steve and Nick, much loved mother-in-law to Deene and Laura, a doting nanna to Dan, Sarah, David, Katie, Edward and George, and to her great grandchildren: Jack,
Aiden, James, Riley, Mason and ‘the little bundle’ Sarah is expecting. Beryl was also a beloved sister to Bryan and the late John, sister-in-law to Betty and Pam, auntie and good friend to many, including her dear dog walking partners, Gail, Angela, Mikila, Neil who she spent many happy hours with every day.
Beryl suffered from long-term health issues but selflessly adjusted her life. The family thought they were going to lose her just before Christmas and although she became bedridden, she stoically carried on for several months, with peaks and troughs, extremely poorly one day then telling
stories and laughing the next but she did achieve her wish to die at home, sadly it was just one week before her ninety first birthday.

Beryl was born at home in Gresty Road, to her parents Edith and Arthur Hignett and she remained there until her marriage in 1951. Sadly due to complications at the time of Beryl’s birth, Edith lost her sight however she went on to have two more children, Bryan and John and Beryl spent much of her early life helping to bring them up. Just as she was throughout her life, Beryl was totally selfless and made the best of a situation. She spent many happy hours playing with friends in and around the cattle market.
She also loved animals and rode a huge horse called Richard for Vera Walsh and helped out selling ice cream for Delukies in Mill Street. After leaving Bedford street school, Beryl worked in the General Offices on Chester bridge where she met the love of her life John. They married on 31st March 1951 at St Andrews Church on Bedford Street followed by a reception at the Crewe Arms before going off on honeymoon to London.
She and John initially lived at 3 Smallman Road with John’s parents at 3 Smallman Road, they welcomed both their sons into the world, Steve in 1953 and Nick in 1958 but by the time Nick was born, John’s parents had passed so Beryl and John bought the house themselves and made it their home. Beryl stopped working to bring up her boys, although Steve can remember his mum cycling around to collect rent money whilst he was sat behind her in a child seat. Summer holidays were always the first 2 weeks of June and both boys remember they were so special. Initially they
travelled by train to Rhyl on the North Wales coast where they liked to stay in a caravan then after buying their first car in the early sixties, they ventured to Anglesey, Benlech and Rhosneiger.

It was always an adventure for Beryl as she drove the early 3 speed Ford Anglia’s, and it wasn’t uncommon for everyone to get out of the car so she could make it up the steep hills. She once drove back from Bangor on Dee races in second gear as the gearstick had detached itself.
In later life Beryl loved to holiday with her whole family, and often rented a huge house with saunas and swimming pools so everyone could have a fantastic time together. She always enjoyed looking back at old photos and DVDs of the holidays and compiled a list of all the places she went to
in Britain. Beryl never had the desire to go abroad, although she did go by boat to France in 1950 and Ireland in 1966. Then in 2019 she was persuaded by Nick and Laura to fly to Ireland to see Steve and Deene, something everyone thought was impossible. She was spoilt rotten, loved the flight and thought it was the most relaxing holiday. Beryl remembered with humour and affection how she lay horizontally on a sun lounger at midnight looking for shooting stars and missing every one because she wasn’t able to look at the heavens and talk without focusing on someone’s face. Beryl was an incredibly caring person. Not only did she help to bring up her brothers she was also committed to caring for her mother, visiting her and tending to her needs every day until she died in 1988. Beryl’s family were the at the very core of her world as were her animals. She was an animal fanatic, spending hours walking Laddie, Shep and especially Toby and Alfie across the fields around Church Lane Wistaston in the company of the dog walkers she made friends with. She looked forward to their walks every morning and afternoon, no matter what the weather because she enjoyed the exercise whilst meeting the people, she thought the world of. Beryl’s first cat was Tim, but recently looked after two strays
Fluffy and Fi Fi and she also took it upon herself to feed the black cat, the polite cat and Alfie from next door and was always completely surprised that they always returned for more! Fi Fi is particularly well fed as Beryl got up twice in the night to feed her and around Smallman Road, she has
earned the reputation of being the fattest cat to ever have lived! Beryl’s other passion was her grandchildren and great grandchildren who totally lit up her life. Whenever they visited, the toys came out from the pantry – the garage, the cars, the trains. John didn’t drive so Beryl drove him all over the country, especially when Alex played away. She would end up sitting in the car or walking the dog whilst the match was on and thought nothing of driving home from Barnsley across the Pennines in dense fog on a damp Tuesday evening after a heavy defeat. Eventually she became a season ticket holder, at first to ensure John wasn’t arrested for his views but she later grew to love it and saw the Alex in the Championship for many seasons. Beryl loved cars and whilst she always prevented John being arrested, she regularly put her foot down driving well over 100mph on motorways. There was also the time she amazed everyone for being able to drive from Rudyard Lake to Crewe in a car with no gear stick in 1st gear without a driving licence, whilst being followed by the police with her husband and two children in the back. Everyone admired her mechanical
expertise, particularly when she used to repair and servicing the cars, changing plugs, points, water pumps, dynamos, and even changing the clutch. She thought nothing of lying on the road outside the house under the Sunbeam Imps and MG Midgets as long as she was helping the boys, she was happy. She liked looking for parts at scrap yards and she wasn’t at all phased when she got home one day to find Nick had a Cortina engine in the kitchen to overhaul it. She wasn’t into fashion or make up or the latest trends but was the most generous person you could meet. She never really criticised anyone. She always preferred to listen rather than talk and that is why many people loved her so much because she was such a good listener – and never judgmental although it has to be said: Beryl disliked dentists, doctors and hospitals. She had a broken foot, broken and
dislocated fingers, knee ligament damage and even a broken hip, all dealt with by her until the hip began to heal itself and after much persuasion she had to be operated on! She liked to watch TV, the news, daytime TV, Good Morning especially with Eamon and Ruth, the Speakmans Judge
Rinder, Emmerdale, Cheshire Housewives, Love Island. She watched Ken Dodd on many occasions and liked the old comics, such as Les Dawson and Bernard Manning. She certainly wasn’t old in her outlook, she kept herself up to date with everything and was extremely easy to chat to. She
kept an open mind and had valid opinions on most things. She was incredibly knowledgeable on world affairs and was great company. Beryl was a great judge of character and knew someone’s motives or emotions just by looking at them. A compliment from Beryl was always heartfelt and
meaningful. Beryl always loved a naughty story told by others whilst walking over the fields – she always exclaimed that she couldn’t believe what had been said but loved to recount all these stories to her family. Her family meant the absolute world to her, she was surprised to become a grandma again when Edward was born followed by George, but Nick and Laura used to visit every day, Beryl embraced her little grandchildren with
renewed vigour, she loved to feed them, play with them and take them for walks up the road in their pushchair. Even when Beryl was really poorly, she simply lit up when three-year-old Edward and one year old George ran in, sitting by her side on the bed for cuddles and chatter filling her day
with pure joy, often captured on camera for the boys to look back on in years to come. And despite being ill, Beryl’s passion for fish and chips never
dwindled, a love affair that lasted her whole lifetime! Beryl was stoic, the rock on which her close family unit and has left
a huge void in their lives.

May she Rest in Peace