Moomin

Her favourite book from childhood was ‘My Naughty Little Sister’.  My little girl, Ellie Ceri or Goobie as she liked me to call her I am Moomin Mama to her.   

Bright, kind, beautiful in many ways and so resilient during 30 years of progressive ill health. 

Of course she loved animals, but others can add to that sentiment who are more sympathetic to the doggy side of her life.  My main recollection is of her relationship to Dizzy, who she said ‘saved her life’ many times.  

Then she met Simon: the love of her life.  I must thank him for giving Ellie the happiest years of her life.  He’s wonderful and I’m very grateful to Pauline and his other mother Isabel for bringing him up to be such a ‘mensch’ i.e. the best kind of man in the world.  And who will always be my son-in-law.  I couldn’t wish for a better one. 

Ellie had many talents, found it as much a burden as a pleasure to be so very beautiful.  Her health held her back, but she tried a variety of jobs, and set up two businesses, all of which she was very good at. She never failed an interview to my knowledge and studied law from time to time, being offered a place at Sussex as a mature student with one successfully completed module and 3 GCSEs.  

Ellie valued the culturally Jewish part of her identity.  As her Grandpa Sid said ‘you can eat your way to Judaism’, but also celebrated Chanukah and Pesach with my family.  It felt important to recognise this fact and so Rabbi Mendy from Chabad was called to the hospital.  He came immediately and gave me prayers and solace.  All this explains the Reform Jewish service as it was my parents’ favoured degree of Jewishness. 

This would not be possible to write without talking about Ellie’s affinity with glamour.  She relished the benefits of 1st class travel on trains which her dad, John, provided, we went to Ascot as she wanted for her 18th and cocktails at the Ritz for her 21st! 

I have brought the heart I was going to give her in hospital when she woke up x