Our Daughter - Zoë Words alone seem inadequate to describe how we feel about the loss of our darling daughter, Zoë We are immensely proud of her for many reasons and particularly for her courage, tenacity, and fortitude in dealing with the journey she was forced to travel. How cruel can life be? Zoë was everything one might have hoped of a daughter, and more : - talented, utterly reliable, a loyal friend and counsellor, with a dry wit and a keen sense of humour, fun loving, organiser , enterprising, creative, mischievous, generous, determined, brave, courageous, a devoted wife, and mother to her two lovely daughters. She was born into the world in April 1974 at a time when her Dad, Peter had been taken very seriously ill and by the time she was three weeks old he was battling to survive in King’s College Hospital. Her maternal grandmother – Nanny – helped to care for her during that time and they developed a very close bond. When Zoe was five months old Peter came home from hospital and he gradually recovered . With brother James who was nearly 3 years older we all enjoyed a very happy family life in between the health problems that life threw at us. Zoë was a loving, happy little girl who had a great sense of fun and like most children loved our seaside holidays, Christmases and parties. From an early age she demonstrated great determination and we used to joke about her ‘dripping tap tendencies’ when she would not take no for an answer but would keep on and on until she wore us down!! She, like both her girls had ‘owl tendencies’ and would often stay awake until late at night and then find it difficult to get up to go to school in the morning! We remember her great love of playing with dolls and she had a collection of hand knitted dolls clothes knitted by her other grandmother – warming up to her Mummy role in future years. It became apparent at the age of 3 that art was going to be her ‘thing’ and she created masterpieces at her Play School at Hale. When we moved house to The Bourne, Zoë attended St. Mary’s Church School in Frensham where she got an excellent foundation in the 3 Rs , arts and crafts featuring strongly - with lots of ‘cutting, gluing and sticking’ which encouraged her creative talents. When she was 9 years old we sent her to St. Nicholas School here in Fleet. She was very happy there and made lots of lasting and special friendships – people that are here today. Looking at the tributes that appeared on Facebook from her school friends it seems that much of the time Zoë was either up to mischief and having fun at school or was revelling in the opportunities that St. Nicks provided for her creativity. We remember her being furious that she had developed chicken pox when she was in the middle of painting scenery for the school play. Despite this, Zoë achieved very good GCSE results. She always had superb communication skills and she particularly excelled at Art, being awarded the Art Prize on one occasion. I know she was particularly inspired by her French teacher who brought the subject alive through role play and Zoë in later years could produce a hilarious demonstration of ‘Louis La Loupe’ in guttural French from her St. Nick’s days. There were lots of happy times and we remember Peter driving a bus full of giggling girls with James and cousin Luke to the Knebworth Concert – all arranged by Zoë. After A Levels Zoë went to Portsmouth to study a degree in Typographic Design. She suffered a head on car collision at that time – caused by a drunken driver - and so took up this course through the clearing system to avoid taking a year out. We know she enjoyed her time at University even though the course was not the one she wanted to do, but that is where she met Kenton her future husband. We remember some of the antics she got up to in Portsmouth. She was always looking for ways to boost her finances and so she designed and manufactured attractive but functional frog door stops to sell to students. This was one of several business ventures and was highly successful until someone dropped their beer onto their frog and it swelled and burst as she had filled them with rice!! In many ways Zoë was an old fashioned girl, with old fashioned values. She had a very strong sense of ‘family’ and as part of this she was the most supportive, generous and caring daughter and sister that we could have asked for. She also had a great love of her wider family, her Aunts, Uncles and cousins in Wimborne and Cornwall. Zoë was also the most reliable and dependable person we have ever known – always punctual, always did what she said she would, always wrote her’s (and her girls’) well composed “thank you “ letters promptly and responded to texts as soon as she could. Our home is filled with examples of her handiwork talents– cross stitch tapestries of Castle Street, Poole Quay, Ruby Wedding Sampler, and upholstery in every room. Ellen’s bedroom mural scenes are an example of her work and her love of seaside holidays and many people have Zoë’s painted canvases in their children’s bedrooms as a memento of her. Christmases and birthdays can never be the same – we were always presented with numerous thoughtfully chosen packages and there always had to be birthday balloons. As Kenton will tell you – her forte was in organising events and these were always well supported with themed balloons. Zoë was extremely talented and able but a modest and very private person. Had she written a ‘bucket list’ at the age of 20 it would have been to settle down with a lovely man (achieved), in a very nice home (achieved), have some beautiful children (achieved) and to enjoy a pleasant social life within a community with some good friends (also achieved) and to find an opportunity to develop her creativity (achieved and in progress). We all feel how unfair it is that she suffered such a devastating and cruel illness and that she has been stopped in her tracks and taken from us. The loss to us, Kenton, Ellen and Carys, James, Kim and Arianne and all of her family and friends is immeasurable and we are all naturally devastated. We have received very many letters and cards of condolence and throughout these there is a consistent message that Zoë will live on through her beautiful girls. When Zoë was 6 years old her beloved ‘Nanny’ Catherine died suddenly. Amongst Catherine’s papers were some words she had been inspired to write when Zoë was about a year old in the Spring of 1975 and these seem to encapsulate this sentiment: BABY Zoë She greets me with a dimpling smile Dancing eyes of exquisite blue Bordered with a darker hue A flash of five little teeth Questing eager fingers grasping Nan-nan she gurgles with delight Zoë my granddaughter, spirit of Spring She renews my youth This is the ultimate fulfilment I am aware of the purpose behind this life The promise of the perpetuation of the Spirit May God Bless Her !