Barbara LilianALLWORTH (NEE WILLIAMS)Barbara was born in East London on 14th May 1926 and moved to Handsworth Wood in Birmingham before the age of ten. On the early death of her father, Noel Williams, she left school at 14 to support the family, and in the latter years of the war served in the Women’s Auxiliary Airforce until after the war had finished. She then took a secretarial post with hairdressing wholesalers E A Ellison and Co Ltd where she met her husband Jim Allworth. They were married in 1952. Two sons, Peter (1955) and David (1957), were born and the family settled in Walmley, where Barbara remained for the rest of her life. After the death of her mother, Lilian Williams, Barbara returned to work, first as a school dinner lady and then rejoined Ellisons when they opened a new drive-in cash and carry warehouse on the outskirts of Coventry, where she was the floor manager and husband Jim the warehouse manager. They worked together until they retired on 4th October 1992, Jim’s 65th birthday. Sadly, Jim passed away within four months. After mourning her beloved husband, Barbara set about to create a new life for herself, joining a local health club where she would swim every day – another member advised her to join the Women’s Institute and she went along to the Walmley (Daytime) WI and was soon elected treasurer, a post she held for more than ten years. Another member suggested she should volunteer in a local charity shop and for more than 15 years Barbara worked on a voluntary basis at the local Sense charity shop. She became more infirm with advancing years and eventually accepted that she should move into The Gables care home just around the corner from her longtime home. There she made new friends and was looked after with great devotion until she passed away peacefully in her sleep on 12th January 2024 at the age of 97.
The funeral will be held at the Sutton Coldfield Crematorium on Wednesday 13th March 2024 at 10:45 am. There will be a collection box at the crematorium for donations to Sense – those who prefer may send flowers to The Gables, 29-31 Ashurst Road Walmley B76 1JE to bring colour into the life of Barbara’s friends and carers. Thank you.
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