Joan Ruby Davies (Mum) passed away Sunday, February 22nd at Abundant Acres in Savannah. With perfect timing Pastor Kate happened to be there to say some words. Although she had never met us, she laid her hand gently on Mum’s shoulder saying, “Well Joan, I think you have had some adventures in your life, now you can go to your next adventure.” Perfect timing, perfect words.
Born into a large family in a small English village Mum spent the first weeks of her life in a workhouse, as her mother became ill at a time when if there was no money to pay for a doctor, that was the only option. In the same village, during WW II, she met my dad. They shared fifty years together. During that time Mum learned to ride horses, speak French, play bowls for the county, ring church bells, and travel to Paris.
In their 60s Dad and Mum relocated over the pond for more adventures. Mum saw the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, New York, Bermuda, and had theatre trips to Connecticut where she got to chat with the legendary Julie Andrews. At the age of seventy plus she went back to school gaining her GED with honours. I never saw her bored. She gardened, knitted, crocheted, sewed, baked, and read voraciously; loved Christmas, birthdays, English roast dinners, and a proper cup of tea. Mum cared for numerous rescue dogs and cats that she loved dearly. In later years she mastered texting, emailing and Facebook.
Mum was preceded in death by her parents John and Ann Blackman, her husband Frank, brothers Fred, Jack, Alf and Ambrose, sisters Hilda, Lilian, Elsie, and infant Peter. She is survived by her daughter Anne, grandchildren Elinor Watts and husband Dan Carini, Colin Watts and Mallory, Edward Watts and fiancée Bailey, numerous nieces and nephews in the UK, family friend Raymond Wheatly and grumpy cat, Bien. The family wishes to thank Abundant Acres and AseraCare Hospice for their amazing end of life care.
Special thanks to her in home caregivers Stephanie King and Vickie Goodman who made her independent life possible for so many years. Mum was surprised she outlived the Queen, and although she didn’t make it long enough to get the 100th year birthday card from the King, everyone that met her thought she had an aura of royalty about her. On to one more adventure Mum. God Speed.
