My sister

My sister

Today was my sister Dorothy’s birthday. She died of cancer in 2003 after a life dedicated  to her children, Valerie and Wendy, her husband George and our mother.

Dorothy’s life changed when Dad died in 1942 at 52.

We had moved to Cardiff from London after months of bombing when Mum became ill. 18-year-old Dorothy immediately gave up her job to look after her.  

She did so, uncomplainingly, for the next fifty years, never able to take a full time job although for many years she worked part time from home for Peacocks, then a Cardiff based firm owned by Harold Peacock, a friend and neighbour of our Uncle Walter Dymond. 

Dorothy married George Thomas who after six years in the army became a teacher, first in Bristol and for many years in Cardiff.

After moving from our first Cardiff home they moved to a flat near Roath Park where Mum continue to have health problems. She ignored the doctor’s  instructions that she should stay in bed mornings and  settled for a room downstairs so she could have visits by friends and family. Everyone loved ‘ Nanny’ and there was a constant stream of visitors.

Her health improved so much she could manage to use the steps outside their flat better than I, to come regularly cto us and tonBert, my brother. Dorothy and George used to take her on holiday.

Mum lived until she 102, proof of the loving care she had always received from Dorothy whose own life was cruelly changed when George had cancer and after a harrowing yea, died.

This and her constant care for Mum had taken its toll and after months in a respite care home Dorothy died of cancer.

A marvellous daughter, wife….. and my big sister.