Jennifer Farrell (nee Prosser) stayed close to her beloved Warwickshire and Solihull for all of her 89 fulfilling and remarkable years. Jenny grew up in Lady Byron Lane in Solihull, then her family moved to Packwood and having married Michael (Mike) Farrell on the 6th March, 1965 she moved to Langley. Following a brief period in Langley, Jenny spent her remaining married life at Preston Hill, Wootton Wawen raising her two daughters, Vickie and Tessa, and son, David. Jenny then returned to Knowle to spend her final months under the care of Birchmere Mews.
Since relocating to Preston Hill in October 1971 and becoming active in Preston Bagot Church, Jenny devoted herself to charitable work. Jenny’s belief in the importance of giving back to the community grew over time, and her commitment to charity became central to her life. She believed deeply that it was essential to contribute if you want an ever-improving society for everyone.
Jenny was involved in many different charitable causes, almost too many to remember. Her charity work expanded over the years to include causes such as Riding for the Disabled, the cancer unit at Warwick Hospital, the new eye and cancer hospital in Stratford, The Children’s Society, The Shakespeare’s Institute, the NSPCC, Teenage Cancer Trust, Get Ahead and The Wagen Trust, among many others too numerous to mention them all. Her fundraising efforts ranged from collecting used stamps, plastic bottle tops, selling Christmas cards, bagging groceries at Tesco, and hosting coffee mornings, dinner parties, charity barbecues, to much larger events hosted in places like the Birmingham Hippodrome (featuring Jasper Carrott, Bob Monkhouse, Rowan Atkinson, and others) and Stratford Theatre (with the likes of Judi Dench, Robert Hardy and Bobby Davro). Some of the larger events were also attended by royalty which gave some extra sparkle to the occasion. However, it was Jenny’s boundless energy, her willingness to do whatever was needed no matter how small or large, and gentle persuasive skills that were key to the success of the event.
Among her most notable achievements was The Holly and the Ivy, a fundraising event she hosted for 20 years at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. This event, in partnership with David and Ali Troughton, featured dozens of well-known actors and a choir, marking this the beginning of the Christmas season for many around Warwickshire.
Jenny’s dedication to charitable work was recognised in 1998 when she was awarded an MBE by the Queen at Buckingham Palace. She was also appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Warwickshire and received the Vice-Chancellor’s Medal from the University of Birmingham in 1995. Other recognitions for her charitable work included Stratford-upon-Avon Mayor’s award in 2017 for work with the League of Friends at Stratford Hospital and she was also recognised as Warwickshire’s Woman of the Year 1995. Jenny never sought out recognition for her contributions so there will be countless other charitable acts, whilst hugely important to the beneficiaries, which will go largely unreported.
In her final year, Jenny faced numerous illnesses, along with many hospital visits. It was a difficult time for her, her family, and her friends. Jenny was laid to rest beside her beloved husband Mike, who had been waiting for her since his passing on 7th November, 2016. Their final joint resting place at Preston Baggot Church, where they had been part of the congregation for over 50 years, allows them to continue watching over their family, friends, and the community they loved and that loved them.
A fitting quote to sum up Jenny’s character is:
Walk behind me; I will lead. Walk in front of me; I will support you. But my preference is for you to just walk beside me and be my friend.
Jenny’s family and friends are deeply grateful for the special years they shared – her unwavering commitment, her love of life, and her generous spirit. For that, they give thanks to God for the honour and privilege of having known her and being part of her life.
Introduction
Good afternoon everyone. Because I am now the oldest named Farrell, my sisters’, Vickie and Tessa, asked me to say a few words about our beloved Mother, Jennifer Farrell who we buried on Dad’s joint grave this morning at Preston Baggot Church where Mum has been part of the congregation for about 50 years. It is great that Mum and Dad are back together where they belong.
Our Mum had a brilliant life and so I am not going to talk about the dates on the tombstone; I am going to talk about the ‘Dash’ between the Dates, which Vickie will explain in more detail, that is what happened during her incredible life and what was most important to Mum which were:
- Dad,
- The growing Family,
- Friends,
- The Home, Warwickshire and the Midlands,
- Giving back to the community.
In essence, I want to talk about all of you here today and many more who could not be here, who have made such an impact, in terms of happiness and friendship, local connections, support, on our family but particularly on my Mum’s life.
Mum told me the most valuable antiques are dear old friends, and I am so glad so many are here today but also just as importantly I am so glad to see so many younger friends, sons and daughters and even some grandchildren of Mum’s direct friends. I, together with the family, would like to take this opportunity of saying a big thank to you all and to your very kind messages of support. It really means a lot. Thank you.
As you know my parents, Mr. and Mrs, Jolly Supreme, loved a joyful party and I know my Mum would not wish this day to be any different, so I very much hope to see plenty of joy, and laughter especially when we meet afterwards at Ardencote for refreshments, and strongly insist on no sad faces; today is not the time nor place. We are here to celebrate Mum’s life and her contribution.
Dad
It is impossible to mention Mum without mentioning Dad and vice versa. Dad did not marry Mum because he can live with her, Dad married Mum because he could not live without her and because he knew Mum would make him a better man which Mum surely did. However, dating did not go initially to plan and certainly was not quick.
- Firstly, their respective nannies would walk Mum and Dad on different sides of Lady Byron Lane and were never allowed to talk to each other as Dad lived on the wrong side of the road.
- Things were made even worse in later life when my grandmother thought Dad was not suitable for Mum because of his love of fast cars and flying especially when he took off from the Lapworth canal bridge in his Austin Healey, not the Tiger Moth. Auntie Gilly, Mum’s sister, was not amused as she had to take Dad back home!
- Mum made it even harder for Dad when she went to Canada and then to Australia with Ann Pattison, Dianna Collins and Jennifer Davey after Dad had proposed!
- Dad, being a typical Farrell pragmatic romantic, told Mum he was happy for Mum to travel overseas but if she could not find anyone better, then she was to come back and marry him. More importantly Mum did not look further as she knew she had the perfect catch in Dad, and married Dad on her return on 6 March 1965 at St. Giles Church in Packwood nearly 30 years after they first met! It is safe to assume my parents did not know about speed dating!
Mum and Dad’s marriage was a tremendous partnership, both in love and the specific roles they played:
- Dad making all the major decisions
- Mum making all the minor decisions
- And mum deciding what a major and minor decision was.
And guess what, there were no major decisions!
They both played to their strengths; Mum cooked, and Dad ate was the first example that comes to my mind. Enjoyed each other’s company on many mutual interests like hosting parties, charities, gardening, multiple overseas holidays especially to see their internationally based Harper and Farrell families. We also laughed together about our many peculiarities like Mum being the answer to being Mrs Bucket or Bucket of Warwickshire.
Family
Mum and Dad have been rock to their beloved family and a rock to many friends in good and bad times. Divorce was never on the cards for my parents, primarily due to no wanted sole custody of me! Mum and Dad were truly ecstatic to welcome, Steve, Gavin and Laura to our family and the resulting grandchildren. My parents loved our spouses, and the spouses loved my parents.
I must challenge Vickie and Tessa; did our spouses marry us because of our present qualities or the qualities they hoped we would obtain from our parents. However, Laura who sadly could not be here today, has regularly stated that Mum did have one major fault. Mum dramatically failed in housetraining her son and Michael and more importantly failed to warn her in advance before Mum quickly dispatched me to Laura in 2004 to America, with no sale and return policy.
But I must tell you a bit of a secret. Our parents were slightly strict with me and my sisters, but the standards were dramatically relaxed as her beloved grandchildren, Sam, Fergus, Josh, Lilly and Ben, grew of age and would regularly visit Mum especially on Friday evenings when they would go up for a warmup drinking and takeaway sessions with girlfriends and friends. To this day I am not sure who lead who astray. Mum, the grandchildren or the girlfriends.
Friends
Mum readily formed strong and warm connections with people, big or small, young or old. Nathalie, the daughter of Mum’s great friend, Auntie Briggette, and Charlie who stood in to help Mum out while her family was away and dealing with the death certificates while we were morning the recent death of Uncle Pat up in Glasglow so today’s events could take place. I am so pleased Natalie, as a member of the second generation, is performing a reading today. But what pleases me even more is that the friendship now goes to the third generation. Thank you, Natalie for your friendship and support in time of need.
It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them. I believe the boundaries were pushed to the limit for both Mum and her great friend Auntie Rosemary, as Nigel taught Dad tack, diplomacy and quietness and how to take over cruises on multiple holidays together. I never understood why the Murrays and Farrells were ever allowed back on the same ship twice!
The love of her community; her home, Warwickshire, and the Midlands.
Mum loved her community, her home and garden. Shortly after arriving from Langley at Preston Hill Farm in October 1971 Mum and Dad moved into horticulture in a big way – potatoes, strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries, many vegetables and planting hundreds of trees. As Mum got older and much wiser and moved across to Preston Hill House, I am so pleased to report that plants replaced vegetables and birds, and Harry the Hair, flocked to her garden due to abundance of food left out for them. The wildlife was a great pleasure for Mum in later years. Thank heavens we also had Raymond to keep the garden in order.
Since my parents moved to Preston Hill in October 1971 and became part of the Preston Baggott Church, Mum has always been involved in charities. My first reconciliations were from Jenny helping at Riding for Disabled to raising funds for her daughters’, Vickie and Tessa who were both married at Preston Baggott Church, school, The Squirrels, Warwickshire.
Mum’s then growing belief, some may call faith, was that it was so important to put back into the community especially if one wants to live in an ever-improving society for everyone. Mum’s charity initiatives then started to expand for the local community, like the cancer unit at Warwick, the new hospital in Stratford, NSPCC or The Wagen Trust.
Some fund-raising initiatives were what you may call less exciting from selling Christmas cards, to bagging groceries at Tesco to hosting coffee mornings, dinner parties or barbeques. Some fund-raising events were slightly more exciting from hosting one off events at Birmingham Hippodrome (Jasper Carrott, Bob Monkhouse, Rowan Atkinson to name but a few) and Stratford Theatre (Robert Hardy and Bobby Davro) and cricket games at Stratford. However, whatever the event, it was Mum’s energy and powers of persuasion that were instrumental in the success of the event.
Mum’s most famous and successful event for 20 years was The Holly and the Ivy held at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, with the tremendous partnership of David and Ali Troughton. Approximately 15 actors, many being well known faces locally and on television, and a choir performed this annual event which marked for me the start of the Christmas Holiday. A fabulously enjoyable and light-hearted evening containing readings, poetry, carols and a pantomime which I believe is still continuing with the Troughton clan.
It was a very proud moment for the family when we went to Buckingham Palace in 1998 to see Mum awarded her MBE from the Queen. A true recognition of her decades of charitable work which she continued for multiple years thereafter. Jenny was also appointed as Deputy Lieutenant of Warwickshire and received the Vice-Chancellor’s Medal of the University of Birmingham on July 13, 1995.
The Last Year
As many know, Mum had a very difficult last year with dementia and multiple illnesses and multiple visits to hospitals. It was a real struggle at times, not for me sunning myself in America, but for the rest of the family and for friends who could not visit or talk to her. I will remember the last two visits to Mum in 2024 with fondest memories as it reconfirmed my knowledge that Mum’s wellbeing was being extremely well managed, basically to the minute, by Vickie, who I am I am totally grateful to. Thank you, Vickie, for being a rock to Mum especially over the last several years.
We danced to Vickie’s tune and Birchmere nursing home was a truly fitting last resting place for Mum as the home is behind Lady Bryon Lane where Mum first met Dad. Birchmere specializes in dementia care but more importantly provided outstanding personalized care that both Mum and the family desperately needed. I am truly thankful to the staff. Thank you Birchmere.
Steve , still only known as Jenny’s son-in-law within the community, and the grandchildren, were also front and center in providing support with Steve providing 24X7 365 days 5-minute response time support for Mum especially when Vickie was away at work. Thank you, Steve.
Tessa was there as well with trips from Oxford to see how Mum was doing and providing much needed support. Mum was also so fortunate to have Kelly for both physical and moral support. Kelly was there to the end; whether it was helping Mum call her friends; providing friendship or holding her hand in times of need. Thank you, Tessa and Kelly.
To all of you again, and to some that I have not specifically mentioned which there are many, I am eternally grateful for the support that you provided Mum. It provided me with so much comfort and relief from afar.
Final
Mum loved her life, and would not have changed anything. Period
A quote which I believe sums Mum up well is:
Walk behind me; I will lead. Walk in front of me; I will support you. But my preference is for you to just walk beside me and be my friend.
Mum never walked alone, she always walked tall with a clear moral conscience with Dad, her children, her grandchildren, her sister, Gilly and cousins, John and Antony, and her multiple friends of multiple generations; never alone.
This will not stop as Mum is now walking with Dad who was probably still shooting with his faithful untrained gundog Dash while he waited for Mum. In short order Mum will be organizing her next party and charity to host in her new home with new and past friends. You can already here the chatter and laughter and smell of her good cooking and wine coming from above.
Love does not die, people die. We must now look for Mum in her friends and family who she has known or loved as it is now time to let Mum go in peace with her legacy and family strongly in tack with her head held high knowing the “dash” was filled in style, with fun and dignity beating some very high expectations.
I, like all of you here today, am truly grateful for the brilliant years that I have had with my Mum, a true committed lady who loved life to the fullest. For that, I truly thank God for that honour and privilege.
Thanks, be to God.
David Farrell
January 13, 2025
