Her passing on this April 17th came bravely in the wake of the increasing grip of Alzheimer’s and also an increasing frailty which has seen her in and out of Hospital several times since Christmas, usually as the result of a fall. Her physical condition was failing making mobility difficult. Recently she asked me to move her bed downstairs – knowing very well what this was telling me. We did this as she wished. She knew that the next chapters of her condition were going to be very difficult and I think we all shared her frustrations as she - a very intelligent woman struggled to find normality in an increasing fog of memory loss, confusion and inability. She struggled trying to find an end position of arrangements of her affairs knowing that she might not be in any coherent state of mind. Always wanting to ensure the very best provision for Janice and I. Yet despite this condition she remained fiercely independent. She loved her home and kept it in very good order. She dismissed talk of sheltered accommodation and cancelled the visitation of care workers. I commend her bravery as she faced the terror of her frightening challenges – in solitude, on her own for large parts of the week. Near the end of her life she was even finding it difficult knowing what day it was. The bright spot in her week was her Saturdays when we would pick her up for the day. We have so many happy memories of her really enjoying her lunches with us and then pottering about in the garden or just sitting by the fire reading news papers and chatting. She used her teaching skills in knitting and shared with us her calm political perspectives usually prompted by a flick through her favorite news paper the Daily Mail!