Jacqueline Dalton “Jacky”

“Gone from our sight, but never from our memories.”

Jacky sadly passed away in the care of Burton on Trent, Queen’s Hospital on Sunday 6th February 2022 aged 83 years.

The beloved Wife of the late Tom.    Much loved Mum to Angus, Mike & Ruth.

Also a cherished Grandma, Great Grandma, Aunty & Friend who will be fondly remembered & sadly missed by all.

A service to celebrate her life took place on Wednesday 23rd February at Crewe Crematorium Chapel at 12.15pm.

Donations in memory of Jacky are going to The Cavalier Centre which is a registered charity focused on providing a breadth of physical and wellbeing activities that enrich the lives of those who participate from Riding for the Disabled to bespoke life skills packages.

For further details and to offer your condolences please contact our funeral home on 01270 584447

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Mum, Grandma Jackie, Great Grandma Jackie, Aunty Jackie or just plain Jackie. We all knew
her as a resilient character. Stoic and independent, yet at the same time one who would
always be taking a genuine interest and helping in what was going on in other people’s lives.
Having been brought up in South Manchester in the family home, daughter of Frank and
Ruth, sister to Pat. Mum worked hard in the family business – 3 cafes, a dairy and a milk
round.
She met Dad at the youth club and their lifelong friendship grew and blossomed. Buying the
butchers shop in Crewe in 1963 meant that the long distance relationship with Dad in
Birmingham could be simplified, it was time for them to make their own way
Home for the first 9 years was at Tynedale Avenue, then, shortly after Ruth was born, we all
made the move across town to Grove House. It was here that Mike, Ruth and I grew up as
kids knowing that there was a good solid home life there to support us in what-ever we did.
The next house moves that mum did over subsequent years were all assisting myself, Mike
and Ruth in the various stages of our lives. No fewer than 14 moves there! (half of them
moving Sue and myself!) She really was an expert. In classic mum style, no big event like this
was complete without a good poem;
Here is an extract from one that mum wrote for us after our move to Maesderwen…
Moving house with Angus and Sue
They now really know what to do
For home-making they have a flair
But with all their families, they like to share.
We invite the Cookes and Daltons along
Plus Hughes to help, when things go wrong.
Normally, when families meet
Its for Weddings, Christenings or a Christmas treat!
But we are all so good at packing up,
Although, with the furniture, sometimes we do get stuck!

Mum’s love of horses was all around us. Photos, books, prints, paintings and harnesses hung
were, and still are, to be found in every corner of every room of the house. An accomplished

rider from a very young age, mum was able to share this pastime with Ruth and many
friends right up to the end. Her long-distance riding achievements with the Cheshire
Bridleways club, annual trips to The Horse of the Year Show and even riding into her 80’s.
Not forgetting our times on Anglesey where, along with her sister Pat, Julie and Trevor we
would all share many hours of freedom in the saddle on Mynnydd Bodafon, around the
lanes of Anglesey and of course on the beaches.
She had a keen eye and discipline for horsemanship and stockmanship that has clearly been
passed on to Ruth and it is something which I see daily in Henry working with stock on the
farm.
Talking of Anglesey, how could we forget those fantastic summer holidays – legendary
picnics out of the back of the Bedford camper van with lots of kids about. Mum just loved
feeding people.
Friends from Crewe, scout camps, cousins from Altrincham, Spanish cousins and of course a
long list of French exchanges. Mum was fluent in French and maintained a close friendship
with Genevievre and her family in France for just short of 70 years. She was good at
communicating around the world and stayed in touch with friends and family in Spain, New
Zealand, Canada, USA and Ireland.
Mum was always organized and prepared. By that I don’t mean simply having lists, no , mum
would have catalogues and filing cabinets! The last 12 moths in Grove House mum had been
quietly working away, getting everything organized ready for her final move, for which,
Mike, Ruth and I are really grateful.
Above all though it was that positive attitude, that can-do; will-do mindset that we will all
remember her for.
“there’s no such word as can’t!” was one of her favourite sayings, quickly followed up by
“what you mean is you wont!” This always left me with a feeling of letting her down,
knowing that I hadn’t tried hard enough. So it was a case of chin up and get on with it. Being
rewarded with the phrase “I never said it was going to be easy” was when I had met
approval that at least I had made the effort.
Character building stuff really. When it came to doing the washing up after tea, mum would
make sure I wasn’t left out. Pulling up a kitchen chair to the sink and simply saying “there,
don’t tell me you can’t reach”
Mum was very good at just getting on with things. Whether it was routine stuff with the
butchers shop working alongside dad, home chores or simply going out of her way to help
others get things done. For us as kids, breakfast would always be ready before our walk to
school. Sausage bacon and an egg and very often it was the sound burnt toast being scraped
that woke us up! (we never did complain about that though!)
You could always rely on mum.
The classic here of course was being the taxi service for the school football team. So many
times I would make a lunchtime phone call from Mr Sutherlands office “mum would you be

ok to help out with lifts this afternoon for football please.” She would turn up with the van
and half a dozen or so lads would jump in the back ferrying them off to their after-school
fixture. I recall once the whole team being bundled in to the van travel to our arch rivals,
Wistaston Green School. No sign of, the then new teacher, Mr Sutherland, mum just
stepped up to the mark made sure everyone knew what they were doing, and suddenly
added team coach to her list of skills.30 minutes into the match and 2-0 up, Mr Sutherland
arrived just before half time – he had got lost in the middle of Crewe!
Thankfully mums driving record was pretty impeccable when ferrying the football team, not
like the time when she had Henry and Rosie to stay for a while. When they arrived back
home to Sue and I, the highlight of the stay was Grandma being pulled up by the police for
speeding outside Nantwich.

In her late years mums extensive treatment at Christies Hospital in Manchester was a long
drawn out affair, but in classic mum style, she just got on with it. No fuss, Always prompt
with appointments and remained strong and positive throughout. Her journal of health care
and medicine notes was an amazing record of her treatments. Any queries by doctors
nurses and consultants could be answered immediately after cross referencing with her
little red book. This was something that I as a dairy farmer dreamed of achieving with my
cow medicine records for farm assurance inspections!!

Mum didn’t hold back in stepping forward, always engaging with people she met. She was
genuinely interested in people. She loved meeting new people, she always kept abreast of
the news and gossip in our village, and likewise , everyone in Wootton knew Jacky.

She was well read, always had a book on the go. A varied taste in music and in recent years
added Tina Turner, Dolly Parton and Status Quo live gigs to her bucket list of achievements.
Mum was prepared when it came to travelling too. Recently clearing the house in Crewe
with Mike and Ruth we came across her travel kit; A travel hair drier, travel kettle, travel
iron all neatly tucked away in a case alongside six plastic tumblers and nice travel-size half
bottles of Gin, Brandy, vodka and whisky!
The diaries that she kept had all Mum and Dads trips, holidays, parties and visits recorded,
more often than not ,signed off with a short footnote “we had a laugh”
Sociable, Supportive, Positive, Resilient, Encouraging – all words that we know describe
Mum
Well Mum, we did have a laugh, we have all been blessed with your presence over the
years, but its time now to say goodbye and for you to join Dad on your next adventure.
I’m sure you will both have a laugh!

May they both rest in peace.