Winifred Jean Page

I don't usually do personal "stuff" on this site, but this is a worthy exception. Yesterday I heard my Granny, Jean Page had died aged 88. She was an incredible woman whose high spirits, warmth and wonderful sense of humour mean that she will have touched the lives of pretty much everyone she came into contact with.

She was born in Grimsby, Lincolnshire in 1917 to Ray and Ethel Barrett who moved to Althorne, Essex two years later. She had a sister, Yvonne, and two brothers Charles and William. She was always very sporty, winning a medal aged 17 for a yachting race across the North Sea to Heligoland (off the North East German coast) which enabled her to become the youngest ever female member of the Royal Ocean Racing Club (you had to have completed an ocean race to become a member).

She was also a great tennis player, winning a number of trophies in her youth, and continuing to play at her local club St. Chad's until she was 70. She had a hip replacement operation the following year. That didn't prevent her, however, from taking a ride in a hot air balloon on a visit to Egypt - one of her many recent trips around the world.

She married (Cuthbert) Ernest Page on 23rd April 1938, and they had five children, Stephen (28/2/1939), Cath (5/8/1942), Andrew (3/12/1948), Julia (born and died in 1958), and Pippa (2/5/1960). Ernest died in 1988, shortly after their 50th Wedding anniversary.

Writing this, it's hard to think of anyone who had more zest for life, joy, generosity and warmth than Granny. Laughter was always present at family gatherings, even this Easter bringing the house down with her entry in our spur of the moment "guess the game" game. She will be sadly missed, but joyfully remembered.

I thought I'd end with the first and last verses of what I remember her once calling her favourite hymn, Charles Wesley's Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven to earth come down;
Fix in us thy humble dwelling;
All thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation;
Enter every trembling heart.

Finish, then, Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee;
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.