She's been fighting a rare form of bone cancer, Myeloma, for some years now. She's fought it so valliantly I think I just thought she was going to beat it through sheer force of will. Life is rarely like the films though. Ironically, Auntie Shirley spent much of her career in the health service nursing and caring for people who were fighting cancer of all sorts. So she had a particular insight into her own illness.
I took this picture of her in Jamaica in 2005 when we were all there as a family to celebrate the somewhat belated marriage of my dad to my wonderful step mother, M (they'd only been together 25 years - so it was a bit of a rush job!) Auntie Shirley was there as matron of honour and chief bridesmaid. She was so happy and proud for M. They had that kind of close sistership that I am so lucky to share with my own sisters. Typically I had to really persuade her to sit for this picture because seh didn't want to be the focus of attention - it's the only one I have of her from that holiday even though I took hundreds!
When my dad and M first got together I was only 8 or 9. I was a bit shy of this whole new family that I was becoming a part of. I suddenly had two older (and impossibly cool) big brothers, and there was a whole army of aunties and uncles and cousins. M's family were immediately warm, welcoming and kind to me. But Aunty Shirley, in particular, took the time to get to know me, to ask me questions, to talk to me about school and my dad and the things I did and didn't like about being a 9 year old. She smiled with real kindness and affection and she laughed at my dad's jokes. And her laughter was so infectious and generous. I thought she was great. I've never changed my opinion. What I learnt about Auntie Shirley as I grew up was that she was just always like that - interested, warm, caring. That was just who she was.
This weekend my little sister S is running the Royal Parks Half Marathon to raise funds for Myeloma UK - a charity which is supporting research into further treatments for this tough illness. I couldn't be more proud of her.
I hope Auntie Shirley is resting peacefully now after her long fight.
