Goodbye Mum

Ann Anslow's Eulogy

When Mum was diagnosed with end stage cancer on the 17th December, it came as a shock to us all, but most of all to Mum.

Just three weeks prior, Mum was attending Tai Chi, getting ready for Christmas and looking forward to spending time with her family.

Family was very important to Mum. It was Mum who was the backbone of our family having met Dad at 16 and married at 19. A marriage that lasted 62 years through changing circumstances, including emigrating from Lichfield England to Launceston Tasmania and onto the mainland, supporting a husband and raising a son without help from family who were so far away.

Throughout her life and all of the changes, Mum was someone who cared for others in need and had a deep love of children and animals. This was also supported by her vibrant, outgoing, friendly personality. Every challenge was met with a strong determination to succeed.

Mum never discriminated against anyone and would talk to everybody. She enjoyed conversation, loved to laugh and had a younger outlook on life, than her years. The social interaction and good friends made at Tai Chi, the Grace City Church and computer classes was a pleasure for her.

Mum’s will power is best explained by her determination to have her back operation. When she was advised that the curvature of spine and her lower vertebrae had disintegrated to the point where there was nothing that could be done for her, Mum’s response was “No bloody way am I ending up in a wheelchair!”

She badgered the specialist for 12 months to perform the operation. The specialist was not able to avoid Mum and conceded defeat, and agreed to operate.

During recovery, she pushed all boundaries and in 4 days, after 16 screws and a wedge in the lower back, Mum was trying to run up and down corridors to prove her fitness - at 80 years of age. The surgeon said “Gee, I wish all my patients were like Ann.”

Mum was determined to get back to her friends and activities.

During all this time though, Mum kept an eye on Dad, to make sure he was looking after himself while she was in hospital.

Mum always had compassion for those in need of assistance. This was especially evident when Mum managed the Launceston Women’s shelter for a number of years. Upon receiving a call for help, Mum would drive alone at the night to pick up women in need of help, protection and shelter. It was not a particularly safe job however true to form, Mum would not be persuaded to do otherwise.

This role of support and assistance was repeated later in life when Mum worked at Tresillian Mother’s and Babies facility at Willoughby.

This was also true when Mum and Dad went to buy a Chihuahua puppy when they were living in Sydney. It was brought to Mum’s attention that a little Yorkshire terrier was being abused and in need of a home, so Yorkie came to live with them.

Yorkie never left Mum’s side after. The one thing Mum always missed after moving to Pine Needles was her dogs.

Mum enjoyed her family and was at her happiest when Heather, the daughter she never had, Samantha, her granddaughter, who she enjoyed spoiling, and I visited.

There is a very large gap now in our lives without Mum. We know that she would want us to remember her for her outgoing, buoyant approach to life.

We will miss you Ann!