Vera Oaker (7 Oct 1923 - 26 Apr 2019)

Vera will be very sadly missed by all her U3A friends. Vera had a wealth of knowledge and experience which she always shared with a friendly smile. Her cheerfulness was infectious.
We shared many walks with Vera and she taught me how to crochet. She gave me several crocheted items which I will always treasure. Vera was one of life's givers. Rest in peace dear Vera.

We met Vera in 2011 when we joined Canvey Island U3A as did many of her friends and acquaintances.

John was cornered into running the Gardening Group and thankfully Vera joined it because John new very little about gardening but what Vera didn’t know probably wasn’t worth knowing. She was a constant supply of knowledge and tips of which John for one was very grateful.

Vera became extra special to John when she joined his walking group. Vera was always up front albeit being possibly 20 years senior to most of the walkers.

John recalls one time when the weather was atrocious and only three of them turned up for the walk, John, Jill Bennett and Vera. There was driving rain and wind and John suggested they may not want to do the walk from Leigh to Southend Seafront but the true trouper that she was, Vera said she wanted to do it. Naturally they finished up soaking wet and freezing cold but all were happy with their reward of hot chocolate and bacon sandwich at the Arches in Southend.

Vera particularly enjoyed the once a year Fish and Chip supper walk when 25 – 30 U3A members would walk along Southend Pier and back. They would finish off at Clark’s Fish & Chip shop where they spent an hour or so eating, drinking, laughing and generally having fun. Not being a walker myself, but not wanting to miss out on the fish and chip supper I joined the group on these occasions but took the little train along the pier and back again and then met the group at Clark’s. On one of the later years I suggested to Vera that she might like to only walk there and join me on the train coming back. I can still hear her now, that soft whisper voice saying, “it’s OK dear you go ahead I’ll see you there”.

There are several walking pictures added to this memorial and you can see by the clothes Vera is wearing that she was more than just a fair-weather walker.

Vera was very well known in the knitting and crochet circles, knitting her square jumpers for third world countries, knee blankets for rest homes and tiny hats for premature babies not to mention teaching many ladies to crochet. I wish I had realised she wouldn’t be around forever because I should have asked her to teach me more than I knew already which was just crocheting in a square or circle. Often she would turn up to a U3A meeting with a beautifully knitted or crocheted hat or scarf for me and on occasions when we popped in to see her at home she would insist I take one of her knee blankets or give us some homemade marmalade, lemon curd, a plant or something. Vera just loved to give.

I think Vera’s love of sweets and chocolate was pretty well known and one time while we were in Bury St. Edmund's at the Christmas Market I snapped Vera stashing a big bag of pick n’ mix away in her bag (see photos) with a very determined look on her face as if to say “go on, get right to the bottom, I don’t want to find you missing when we get home tonight”.

On Vera’s 90th Birthday Ernie, Iris, John and I took her to Sands in Southend for afternoon tea, well where else would you take a lady with a sweet tooth. Vera thoroughly enjoyed it as we did and she even joined us ladies in a glass of white wine. She's not squiffy in the picture, just glowing and happy as always.

Vera was a great conversationalist and a very interesting Lady. She could be heard most times starting a sentence with “me and my Stan”. She and Stan had travelled so much in their lifetime together that it didn’t seem to matter what part of England you mentioned she and “her Stan” had been there and she never faltered, even in the very latter days, with her ability to remember exactly where a place was and to tell you something about it.

These are our personal memories of the all too short time we knew Vera but would conclude by saying………… “Vera, that lovely smile and soft voice of yours will be in our hearts forever”..............

Rest In Peace My Lovely.
Ruth and John x x