Jean Banks
10th September 1932 - 18th April 2025

Eulogy

Jean was born in 1932 in Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, her mother was and unmarried and not able to look after her, the world was quite a different place in those days, Jean was adopted a lovely couple a midwife and a farmer. Mum went to boarding school her adoptive had now moved to Conwy, North Wales another place she loved, being by the coast mum loved watching the coasted birds, she told me she had cycled from Manchester to Wales on her Raleigh bicycle on more than one occasion.

From school Jean went straight off to train as a nurse at Westminster Hospital, Westminster hospital had a certain reputation in those days. Jean also training at The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, specialising in children’s nursing going on to train as a Midwife. On qualifying her and fellow midwife Sheila choose to move to Grimsby, Northeast Lincolnshire as it was a part of the country unknown to them. Shelia’s family and ours were very close when we were children living in Grimsby, mother and Sheila kept in contact ringing each other every Sunday evening, I am so pleased Sheila and Jean were able to speak shortly before she died.

Jean married Eric a motor mechanic buying a house in Bradley near Grimsby, Eric having to sell his beloved Norton Commando to secure a mortgage They had three children Richard, Nigel and Diane Jean loved living in Bradley a small farming village, sometimes our garden would be full of little piglets, often as toddlers we would be in the midst of the piglets I remember our misshapen Lego bricks chewed by piglets. Jean loved gardening her and Eric created an amazing garden with a pond, filled with fish and frogs. Her bird feeders were very popular especially with Woodpeckers. Mother loved her bird watching.

Jean was very much part of the community in Bradley making many friends, working nights on the baby unit, she enjoyed walking round the fields first thing in the morning with are very large Airedale Terrier “Tan”

Jean worked for quite some years on the Special Care Unit, she was not far off retiring when she accepted the role of Manager of The Special Care Baby Unit, being one of the first Clinical Nurse Specialists of that time finally retiring 5 years later. I know this role came with a lot of responsibility our mum was always very humble, I think she saw it as a challenge and she saw a way to do the job really well and she did. Most people in Grimsby who had a premature or poorly babies knew “Sister Banks”  

Sadly in 2000 Eric died.

A few years later mum made the big decision after living in Bradley for around 45 years to move down to Wiltshire, moving to Pewsey in 2006.

She meticulously planned out a new little garden and got it looking amazing,  it was visited by a variety of birds and some very large pigeons, seem to be quite a few of them in Pewsey, as well as pigeons our mum was a nurturer of people and plants.

One of Jean's favourite things was going to the garden center buying plants, and having a meal,  she used to say, “you can cheer people up with a plant”.

Jean soon made friends in Pewsey becoming part of the community being involved in various groups that helped open the library and start the U3A groups, walking groups and gardening groups.

Jean made some amazing friends in Pewsey and Bradley, Grimsby she was always genuinely interested in people and their lives; she believed in sense of community and being helpful and supportive.  

Hawthorne Close in Pewsey is a little community full of the loveliest people, to everyone that knew our mum wherever you are north or south, I know your friendship brought her such happiness, I know Jean will be missed by many

I can’t describe how much she will be missed by us her children,