Pamela “Pam” Hillier

“Always loved, never forgotten and forever missed.”

Devoted Wife of Norman, much  loved mum of Stephen, Susan & the late Andrew, also a cherished Nana, Great Nana & friend who will be so sadly missed & fondly remembered. Pam passed away on 1st November aged 79 years .

Pam has left a huge void, but she would want you to lovingly support each other and
survive. She was incredibly stoic, the matriarch and always knew what to do or say
to make things better. Norman proudly said, no one ever had a wrong word to say
about her. She was his fishing widow, Norman was one of the top anglers and Pam
very often wriggled the maggots in the kitchen, gutted the fish, prepared rabbits and
even had an eel swimming round in the sink!
She and Norman were the best of friends since their courting days and blessed with
almost sixty years of marriage, they made a good team.
Pam kept an amazing gardener and Norman was deeply saddened at not being able
to help her since becoming ill himself, but Sue reminded him Pam never really liked
anyone to help her in the garden, it was her absolute pride and joy. Her knowledge
was every bit as good as Alan Titchmarsh’s almanack, everyone used to go to her
for advice about plants. No matter where she was, if she saw a plant she liked the
look of, she would sit as near to it as possible, ask one of them to take a photo but
then whip her scissors out of her bag!
A doting mum to Stephan, Sue and the late Andrew, Pam was close to her son in
law Andy and fond of Stephan’s partner Karen, but the loves of her life were her
grandchildren. A besotted Nanna to Stephanie, Lee, Jessica, Abigail and Lucy and
Nannie Pam to her great grandchildren Amelia, Isaac, Cary’s, Jude, Isla, Aubrey and
Ophelia.
Pam loved dabbling in a bit of Facebook and she last posted that she was so
pleased Ophelia was well.
The weekend before she passed away, she was delighted to have a visit from some
of her great grandchildren and was thrilled to see a short video of them dancing.
Pam and Norman had always been fantastic dancers, especially when doing the jive
and Susan told me how they just jelled on the dance floor, their flicks, kicks and
twirls captivated the audience at any do.
Pam was looking forward to her eightieth birthday celebrations so she would be
thrilled to know the family intend to go ahead with a little party, leaving an empty
chair for the guest of honour.
She adored her late brother John who was a cheeky chappie and being the younger
one, she always looked out for him, very much like Andrew, she stood by him
through thick and thin.
She loved going to brass band concerts to watch Stephan and Andrew play and was
always very proud of them both and delighted when her third and last child was a
girl.
Born in Linden Grange maternity home in Crewe, she first lived on Sandbach Street
but after several moves, she spent her late teens at Sycamore Avenue.

Pam’s first job was at Appletons Hardware Store then after working at British Home
Stores, it seems she went back to Appletons.
She and Norman met in Queens Park when he was a Teddy Boy, wearing drainpipe
trousers and thick crepe soul shoes and Pam used to wear lovely full skirted dresses
with net underskirts and sling back heels with pointed toes – which she blamed her
bunions on in later life!
Her dad was incredibly strict, she had to be home for half nine and his greeting was
“get that much off your face” until Norman stood up to him! They loved dancing at
the town hall and enjoyed the big bands at the Civic, courtesy of Norman’s dad
whose band played in the interval, so he was able to get tickets.
They also used to go to the Milkbar at the bridge on the corner of High Street but for
at least a year they rarely went out because they were saving hard to get married
and £150 deposit on their first house in Nelson Street where Stephan was born.
When they got married, Pam was working as an auxiliary nurse which came in very
handy throughout the years as she knew exactly what to do when the children were
unwell, and Sue said she always used to insist on making the beds with immaculate
hospital corners.
Pam had many jobs, sometimes as many as three on the go at once and cycled
everywhere. When the children were small, she worked part time at Calmic at
Crewe Hall and General Relays in Underwood Lane. Her last was at Brewpack and
she always called to see her grandchildren on the way home, Nanna bike they loved
to call her!
Pam was twenty when they got married and celebrated her twenty first at the Aslef
Club, she had her wedding dress cut down into a tea length dance dress with a net
underskirt to give it the full effect when twirling on the dance floor.
In August 1966, Norman, Pam and Stephan moved to their forever home in
Cheltenham Crescent, the year of the world cup, the house had only been built a few
years and cost £3000 – in perspective, Norman was drawing £20 per week and the
mortgage was £17 per month. Andrew arrived followed by Sue and although they
watched the pennies, Norman and Pam always made sure the family had good
holidays, normally in a caravan in Mid Wales.
Once they bought their own caravan, Pam created a beautiful garden round it and
loved nothing more than admiring the view, sitting outside with a good book or doing
her knitting. Over thirty-six years, they made good friends and regularly enjoyed
meals out together. After retirement, they were able to go for a month at a time,
Norman would go off early to do a bit of fly fishing then they would often go off for the
day to places like Aberdovey and Towyn and when they weren’t at the caravan, the
Coppenhall Club was the hub of their social life on Saturday nights. They recently
sold the caravan because Norman is less mobile but all that mattered to Pam was
Norman’s health and wellbeing.

Pam was a fantastic cook and loved baking and all the family loved to visit on
Saturdays.
She had varied interests, even had a go at home made wines and once when she
made ginger beer, Sue said they were sat in the living room when they heard an
almighty bang. The ginger beer had exploded all over the kitchen. She very often
put something on the cooker and forgot all about it whilst watching TV!
And, Norman said she was a devil for re-arranging things, sorting out drawers and
cupboards. He would know exactly where he left something – but when he went to
get it, it had gone with Pam denying all knowledge of ever seeing it, let alone
touching it – funnily enough, whatever it was would miraculously appear in a different
drawer!
She loved rearranging her wardrobes, “by heck said Norman, she’s got some
clothes!” And collectables – my goodness, the display cupboards are full, but I did
notice the walls are adorned with photographs of all the children.
Sue said she was a proper magpie, she loved shiny things and on holiday, Sue
would stand in front of a jewellery shop to block her view. That didn’t stop her, she
loved looking, Andy quipped – buying you mean!
Recently Pam, Norman and Sue went to Torquay with Shearings, Pam realised she
had left her purse at home and Norman was ever so cross because she had her bus
pass inside it. When Norman and Sue continued to pull her leg, she had one thing to
say – shut up you pair!
He remembers they once dumped him on a bench in Exeter outside Primark for
almost three hours! However, a chap thought he was begging and asked where his
cup was – Norman made £1. Not amused, Norman went in the store to find Pam
and Sue and when Pam told him she was trying to find a cardigan, he snapped, you
could have knit on in the time you have been in here!
She also loved her dogs, Penny, Pip and latterly Milly and when Norman was no
longer able to walk far, Pam loved to take Milly up the field and some mornings she
would be gone for ages, chatting to everyone she saw.
Much loved and missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing her.

Donations in memory of Pam will be gratefully received &  given to The Heart Foundation.

Pam’s funeral will take place at Crewe Crematorium on Friday November 11th at 3:30pm, followed by refreshments at the Sydney Arms.

For further information and to offer your condolences, please telephone our funeral home on 01270 584447.