Steve's appreciation and thanks

I just want to say a few words on behalf of Dad - and the
 family.

This is a time of very mixed emotions- feelings of extreme sadness, tinged with the pleasure of seeing each other again.
On the one hand, no-one wants to be here for the reason that
 brings us together.
 On the other, we know this is exactly what Mother would have wanted -
 her family and friends all enjoying good food and drink in her memory
.
I don't think it is necessary to try and tell you what she meant to us all Some of the things that have happened this week say it all, and so 
 much about Margaret

When it became clear last week how desperately poorly Mum was
 the family gathered around her.
 There were tears, and laughter and even singing.
Mum was a tough one despite her diminutive size. She fought back from her illness last year to celebrate her 80th 
birthday at 30 thousand feet on a British Airways Jumbo and onwards
 to the tropical island of Mauritius where
 she saw her first grandchild wed
 and she saw all her ten grandchildren afterwards in the UK together 
at the Fleece.

Christmas was spent in her beloved Provence with Julian and Ruth
 and still full of her faith and courage - she didn't want us to see her as she was and 
fought to the bitter end, but finally went peacefully. 
It honestly couldn't have been better for her or us.

A measure of the esteem in which she was held is the number of you who have come from far and wide to be here today.
 On behalf of Dad
, Cathy, Julian, Nic and Peter 
and all of us, thank you so much for your support
 and kind wishes - and we know MUM would also thoroughly approve of 
the donations to alzheimers.

She fought the symptoms of memory loss as best she could and would 
 fill her diary with tiny reminders
 and would declare Gordon Brown to be prime minister on queue, 
 although what day it was,
 was more of a struggle
.
I want to say some other thank you's.

First, to Dad. He has put up with a lot these last few weeks - more 
 than perhaps even the rest of us know
 and for the last few days he has been the usual tower of strength 
for us all and held us together by his example.

Second, to Peter for taking care of the arrangements
, to Cathy and Nic for dropping everything to be here
 and Julian for being Julian.
They have all been outstanding.

This week has been a terrible experience of life for all, and Mum 
would have been proud us- thanks.

Third, a special thank you to Mum's many carers and helpers, Nurses and ex-nurses who by regularly popping in helped both Mum and 
Dad cope and get back on their feet after Dad's fall

Last to Molly Morgan as I lately found out was her nickname as a lass. 
 A wonderful wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, sister, aunt 
and friend. Let us toast a wonderful person -
thank you
 Margaret.
Your loving son, Steve