Annie

It was a sad morning for me. I had to attend the funeral of an old college friend who had been suffering for some time with Altziemers. We  were members of a small group of mature students realising our ambitions to become teachers. 

 As mothers of young families, we helped each other through the difficulties of juggling home and college commitments. We made sure that anyone who missed a lecture got plenty of study notes from those who were there. We enjoyed many social outings and field trips together, keeping in touch after we graduated and realised our dreams of becoming teachers. Annie was especially gifted in teaching less able children and excelled in Special Education. 

 Now in retirement, we were meeting more regularly. Unfortunately, Annie had not been able to join us for some time because of her condition. We had gradually lost our wonderful friend over the last couple of years, difficult for us, but even more so for her family. She had deteriorated over the past few weeks and passed away peacefully in her sleep last Friday. 

 Annie was a lively, caring person, very active in her local Presbyterian church. She was no stranger to tragedy, having lost her beloved husband, Brian, in the Chinook Helicopter disaster in 1994. Brian was just about to retired from the RUC and they had been looking forward to spending some quality time together. Annie pulled herself through that and devoted herself to her family, friends and pupils. She will be very sadly missed. 

 Annie 

 Friends are hard to come by, 

 especially those, who care. 

You may not see them often but, 

you know that they are there. 

 We just lost a good one. 

 Our father called her home. 

 While we see her through a veil of tears,

 in Paradise she will roam. 

 She is flying with the angels 

 hand in hand with her true love. 

 Her troubled heart at peace, at last, 

 in God's mansion, up above. 

 In Memory of 

Annie Joyce Fitzsimons 

1938 - 2014

 (C) 2014 Terri Richardson