Colourful farewell for ‘wonderful wife’
FORMER Nailsworth councillor and town mayor Jenny Evans left specific instructions that her funeral should be ‘full of light and colour.’
The wife of Nailsworth town crier Tony Evans has died aged 77 after a long battle with cancer.
Tony said: “She wrote three letters more than 20 years ago when she was first diagnosed. One for me and one for each of our sons, John and Lorrin.
“The letters have been locked away in the safe with her will and sadly the time came to read them.”
Jenny was adamant there should be no black worn at her funeral, which will take place on Friday, December 14 at St George’s Church, Nailsworth at 1.30pm.
“She loved flowers and she loved colour,” said Tony.
Jenny lived to see the display of poppies on the town’s clock tower – a project she had been involved in for the past few years.
“This year it was her idea to add the Lest We Forget words carved out of wood,” said Tony.
“Although she was too ill to go and see the display this year, we took pictures for her and she was absolutely thrilled with the result.”
Tony met Jenny when she was just 14 and they were living in Bristol.
“From that first meeting at a youth club we saw each other every day. The longest we have been apart in 63 years was for just five days when she was too ill to accompany me on a town crier trip,” says Tony.
Over the years they travelled the world to town crier events and Jenny made their costumes.
“She was once voted the best dressed consort at one of the events we attended,” says Tony.
As mayor for two terms from 19911993 and 1995-1997, Jenny was often at the heart of many of the town’s events.
She and Tony moved to a bungalow in Minchinhampton 15 years ago but her interest in Nailsworth never waned.
Until recently she organised the rota for the flowers at St George’s Church which she had done for many years.
Jenny and Tony originally moved from Bristol to take over the former, King’s Arms at Brimscombe.
Jenny later became head cook at Amberley Ridge School and a pharmacy assistant at Wells Pharmacy.
A spokesman for Nailsworth Town Council said: “Jenny contributed a huge amount to our town and will be missed greatly.”
Former Nailsworth neighbour Margaret Marshall remembers Jenny as a ‘lovely, gentle, kind person who was extremely community minded.’
Tony says they never went to sleep on a row which he credits to the success of their long marriage.
“She was a wonderful wife and very loving. She was the love of my life and I miss her so very much,” says Tony.
The service will be followed by a private family burial at Horsley. Donations can be made in Jenny’s memory to Longfield Hospice.
The longest we have been apart in 63 years was for just five days
Tony Evans