Aunt Joan

From Facebook Archives

15 November 2011 at 21:27

RIP Aunt Joan who passed away last night.

Joan Ward-McNally was Mum's sister-in-law (Uncle Jimmy's wife) and a formidable but impressive lady.

She was from Portsmouth and a seamstress and tailoress when she met Jimmy; who was in the Navy during the War, and for some time after. 

At one time she was Conservative Mayor of Gillingham and she was awarded a medal by the Pope; but every family has its black sheep.

I only met her once in the flesh (Kent and Carmarthenshire being about as far away from each other as you can get) and she was really charming.  It was at Bigsister's wedding and we were wearing exactly the same dress, in slightly different colours.  

I mentioned it first with “Oh Aunt Joan we’re wearing the same dress!”

She patted my arm and when Mum came over said to her 

"Your daughter does have good taste", which smoothed things.

We exchanged Christmas cards and letters.

There's only Uncle Laurie left of that generation now.*

Paganess  Travel well Aunt Joan,💕

FifiD  Bless her cotton posh socks. Xxx

Tylebach  What a lovely story, I'm sorry to hear of your loss xx

Fay  Thanks for your memories of her Ben.

*We lost Uncle Laurie the next August in our Annus Horribilis 2012.