Margaret Thompson

Only daughter of Doris and George White, born in Newport South Wales and living in Risca – she was very proud of her Welsh origins and people often detected her Welsh roots when listening to her. She was born the same year as The Queen and subsequently passed away the same year too! She saw many changing and turbulent times over her lifetime. With the privations continuing after the war she told her granddaughters that you could only get one colour lipstick. She went to university and was a teacher for a short while during the end of the second world war before becoming a Catering Manageress.

She married Richard Thompson on the 12th December 1959. Richard was a Scot (living in Newport at the time where they met) so rivalry over supporting Rugby was intense. Was it Wales or Scotland? – but never England! They subsequently had twin daughters. At this point Margaret stopped working to bring up the children. Due to Richard’s job they moved around the country quite a bit and Richard was often away with work so Margaret was adept at caring for the children and running the household.

Margaret was an excellent cook and we have many happy memories of all the baking preparations we helped with for the Christmas festivities. I can still remember the first time she made Lasagne! All 4 of her grandchildren have an interest in cooking too.

Margaret was an avid reader all of her life, thrillers mostly, with Pride and Prejudice being read hundreds of times. One of her granddaughters is going to get her copy restored. Margaret’s mother was a dressmaker (including coats, suits and jackets) which Margaret also enjoyed and she was a very accomplished knitter. Hobbies which are enjoyed by her daughters and granddaughters. When Richard retired they spent time travelling to some favorite destinations such as Barbados, the Greek Islands and New England.

Margaret did the Telegraph crossword everyday for decades finding the Thursday one slightly more tricky (just took a little longer)! She was very interested in politics and always had an opinion to share. Richard sadly died in December 2013 and after 18 months Margaret moved to an assisted living flat in Brick Kiln Place where she was close to her daughters. Covid, as it did for us all, made life more insular and when all restrictions were over she did mostly keep to her flat. She lived there for 8 years.

She was immensely proud of her grandchildren and always interested in what they were doing with their lives and careers. Her life was cheered up greatly by her daughter’s addition, to the family, of a caring and sweet natured dog who she has seen every week since he was 8 weeks old. He is also well known by residents’ and carers at Brick Kiln Place.

She lived a full and eventful life and was known for being spirited and outspoken. From a lifetime of reading she was very knowledgeable on a whole range of topics. She died peacefully at home a couple of weeks after a fall. She will be greatly missed by her family.

To conclude, with a very appropriate quote from Pride and Prejudice which Margaret would have thoroughly approved of “ I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book!”

In accordance with Margaret’s wishes there will be no funeral service, however anyone wishing to make a donation in her memory they will be collected for the work of St Barnabas Hospice & Marie Curie, all enquiries via Price & Son Family Funeral Directors, 70 Castlegate, Grantham, NG31 6SH