Mum was born in Crediton, Devon on 10th June 1943 and christened Jennifer Mary Sowden. She spent the first year of her life in Virginia Cottage, Kennerleigh, before moving to Witheridge in 1944.
Mum went to the local village school before gaining a scholarship to Tiverton Grammar School. Among her many friends were the Follett sisters, Sheila, Pam and Jill. She often spoke about happy memories of playing tennis in The Square (way too much traffic to do that now)! Also of scrumping apples from the vicarage garden and driving their parents to despair with various antics around the village! Mum was always flattered and honoured to be referred to as the 4th sister by her ‘second’ family!
After school Mum trained as a social worker at High Wycombe where she acquired more lifelong friends including Janie and Edgar. Their tutor was Priscilla Tolkien, daughter of the famous author J.R. Tolkien.
In the late 1960s whilst working as a social worker in Barnstaple Mum met Malcolm (Dad). They married in 1969 before moving to Dunfermline when Dad’s job as an MOD photographer took him to Rosyth. Yet more lifelong friends were acquired on the way as Dad had been sharing a flat in Edinburgh with Jerry Green and Bob Auld, soon to become Jerry and Isobel and Bob and Sally!
Richard was born in Dunfermline in 1970 and for the next four years all lived happily in Cedar Grove, Dunfermline. Mum loved Scotland, although not the short winter days or the rain! But in 1974 an opportunity arose to come back south to Portsmouth and Dad took up a new job at Whale Island. The Noyce family home was established in Titchfield, Hampshire. Much handier for the Devon and Wiltshire Grandparents than Scotland.
In 1976, Peter arrived on the scene and Mum had her hands full as a full-time housewife and parent. Despite this, Mum had a very active social life, playing badminton one day, tennis the next with yes, the gathering of yet more lifelong friends along the way. This included the close-knit community of friends and neighbours with many social events throughout the year. Carol singing every Christmas Eve at ours or The Gardner Road Skittles Championship in the Community Centre. We think the Noyce’s are still reigning champions?!
As we grew older and were both at school, Mum felt that she could return to some form of part-time employment as a Guardian-ad-litem, representing the interests of children in adoption cases. It will come as no surprise that colleagues Mum worked with remained close friends!
When Dad sadly passed away in 1998, Mum was invited by old friends to join the ‘Meon Valley Country Club’ a club of close-knit friends to play badminton every Friday night. When Mum stopped playing a few years ago, attention turned to playing Bridge with friends in an unofficial Bridge / social club.
In retirement Mum wanted to travel, which she did regularly, travelling all over the World to South Africa, St Lucia, Japan, and just about every country in Europe. And yes you guessed it, Mum formed new friendships and travelling companions.
Mum always remained a country girl all her life. We always spent at least one family summer holiday somewhere in Devon which would include a visit to the Grandparents in Witheridge. On inheriting her childhood home in the Square at Witheridge on the death of her parents in the early 2000s we made the collective decision not to sell up but to keep in the family. Mum returned whenever possible either with one or both of us or on her own but certainly many times a year. We were always amazed at how many people she still knew! There was always a constant stream of visitors when her car was spotted parked outside!
Only a few weeks before being admitted to hospital, Mum was thrilled when neighbours celebrated her 81st birthday with a homemade cake.
We have so many happy memories and of course are lucky to have hundreds of photographs which Mum meticulously organised into albums. We will always be eternally grateful for everything she did for us. Mum leaves a massive hole in our lives.