The obituary notice of Glenda RAE HAWKINS

Glenda was my Aunty and I knew her all my life. A lot has been written about her art but I really wanted to put a few words together to say some of my memories and how Glenda was a key part of my own life.
Firstly I will just say that Glenda was the younger sister of my Mum Anne. My very first memory of Glenda was of her sitting with me downstairs as my Mum was upstairs in labour with my brother. From that day forward I remember her always being involved with all our family life. She was a very glamorous lady and when I was very young she must have been one of the few people to have travelled on a plane to Spain (or so I believed). I thought this was very exotic and it seemed to me that she was a little mysterious In her own way. At my Nan and Grandads, where she lived, there was always Spanish musical boxes and marracas etc, brought back from her travels. All of this made a big impression on a 4 year old. At Christmas we would always have a big family party and I clearly remember her sleeping with me in the afternoon so I could stay up. I clearly didnt want to but she helped me settle. All of these are trivial memories but I really hope that I can convey the sort of lady Glenda was. She loved life, led a full life that was truly completed after she met Tony and gained a daughter Karen. I remember family parties, I remember special times with Tony and Glenda and Karen and I remember the years that my Mum and Glenda had together in retirement after Tony died and before she became ill. I guess my best final tribute would be to say that I loved my Aunty, she was a very good person that loved her family. She loved to joke and to be light hearted also and with this in mind my very final memory that has just come to me is that she taught me that you can order a Madras strength sauce with a Biryani. She loved her curries!! Thank you for being my Aunty Glenda and I am so very sorry you were ill but truly happy that your life as a whole was so positive. Thank you, Greg x

Glenda enjoyed our Open Day at Cubbington Mill Care Home in June 2019. We had a Cowboys and Indian theme and the staff dressed up. Lots of fun had by all. Glenda enjoyed the day. What a beautiful smile !

It was a pleasure to care for Glenda at Cubbington Mill Care Home. She always enjoyed a pamper at our hair salon. A truly lovely lady with a beautiful smile. All the staff miss her greatly and send their condolences to the family.

In tragic times such as these, we must choose to remember the beauty of better days. I choose to remember my Nanna through her swan face (a silly face she would make to throw Becca and I into fits of laughter), her desire to always hold my hand when crossing a street regardless of my age, her innate kindness, her sweet tooth that matched mine. I also choose to remember my Nanna through her artwork; Glenda introduced me to the world of fairies and mermaids. I reveled in this dainty, glittery world that she painted into my childhood. I spent years making fairy doors at the base of tree stumps, I spent hours whispering into bodies of water in case the mermaids could hear me. I will forever see bunnies and poppy flowers and African safari landscapes through her watercolours. I choose to remember the countless international trips that Nanna and Poppa took to visit us wherever we lived and how protective, caring and enthusiastic they both were about my sister and me. They were so proud of us and I, in turn, am so thankful for my time with them.

A loving Nanna to Hannah and Rebecca, caring mother to Karen, and friend and family to me, Glenda will certainly be missed. Some of my fondest family memories are Glenda and Tony’s visits with the four of us. How they both loved adventure and time with their grandchildren.