Mrs Marion Howorth, G7DPC, 24th May 2013
My beloved wife and best friend, Marion Howorth, G7DPC passed away on 24 May 2013 after a long battle with Motor Neurone Disease.
Marion had spent all but for her last 3 days at home with me and we had both worked hard together to make her life as good and as normal as was possible. Twelve months ago Marion had lost the use of both of her legs and her voice and her throat didn’t work properly. However, she loved it when we both continued to listen in to regular local QSOs.
Marion and I were both members of the GB3LD Repeater Group, South Lakeland and GB3RF Repeater Group, Rossendale Forest, but we could not attend the meetings due to ill health. She loved being a radio amateur and enjoyed speaking with lots of nice people when she could.
The last 29 weeks and 2 days before she passed away were very hard for us after Marion finally lost the use of most of her mobility muscles. But we determined that she was staying at home for as long as possible. Marion and I both wanted it. Amazingly, we managed to do our best and succeed without assistance and share that precious time together.
Our own doctor and the hospital doctors and nurses were amazed that we had managed to do it all by ourselves at home. They went on to say that Marion had been a very brave lady and that she had been very well looked after.
Before we had retired from working, Marion and I had both been Officers in Emergency Planning and we had also both been Civil Defence Scientific Advisors. We had both worked for some years as Tutors at the Home Office Civil Defence College (now the Emergency Planning College) at Easingwold near York.
Marion worked very hard and achieved a tremendous lot in life. She took pleasure from being able to contribute and do some good.
When I met Marion 26 years ago and fell in love with her one of the first things Marion did was to take off her high heel shoes to show me that she was “only a ‘little’ person, 5 foot 2 and a half inches tall”. I quickly realised that Marion was anything but a ‘little’ person. She was a GIANT of a personality, with all the correct values of decency and sincerity. We got married soon afterwards and have lived at Morecambe since.
Marion was a quiet, modest and unassuming person who was loving and sincere. She treasured her family, friends and neighbours as well as her work and always did her very best for all of them.
Marion was educated in Business Studies, Communications and other technical subjects, gaining an HND and ONC in Business Studies, followed by a Post Degree courses in Radiation, Radioactivity, Radiobiology and Meteorology. She was a person who just got on with the job quietly and did what was needed. She did not advertise her illnesses and problems, instead she continued loving and caring about others.
Marion did her best for her children and family and had often done without herself in order to be able to do it. She always ensured that the children of the neighbours and friends received Easter eggs and selection boxes at Christmas. She was a people person and was very well liked.
During Marion’s last 17 hours I along with our two daughters managed to stay with her and hold her hand for most of the time.
I am glad I got the chance to tell Marion just how much I and the family loved her and to personally thank her for a fantastic 26 years (the best of my life) and to tell her what an honour and privilege it had been to have shared it with her.
Without Marion, our lives feel empty, the house feels empty and we can’t bring her back. We all miss her very much. She is a tragic loss to us all and she was a very brave lady.
Tribute by David W Howorth, G4IFT
Category: Silent Keys
