She didn’t take herself seriously, that’s what everyone loved about her. She was clever, practical, funny, especially when she was facing challenging situations. She’d always give things a go and taught me to grasp every opportunity life throws at me. I learnt a lot from her.
Gill's story
Gill's Goddaughter Hannah tells us about her incredible Godmother and why Gill chose to leave a gift to the Charity in her Will.
The thing Hannah remembers most about her godmother, Gill, was her amazing sense of humour. Gill chose to leave a gift in her Will to the Charity for Civil Servants and asked Hannah and her sister, Charlotte, to be her executors. We recently got in touch with Hannah who told us how lucky she felt to be the goddaughter of such an incredible person.
An impressive career in the Civil Service
Gill joined the Civil Service in 1975. Starting in HM Customs and Excise (now known as HM Revenue and Customs) she progressed quickly in her career. She became the first female Boarding Officer in London Port and became an expert in supply chain security. Her knowledge and experience were hugely respected by colleagues around the world and she made some friends for life. This included meeting her husband, Dave, and both of Hannah’s parents, Elaine and Steve.
Gill and Dave were very good friends with my parents. They were friends for over 40 years and meant a great deal to each other. She did to me too, she never had children of her own and I always considered her as part of the family.
Coping with grief
When Gill’s husband died suddenly in 2014, it impacted Gill enormously.
Gill found Dave’s death very difficult to deal with, we all did. He was relatively young when he died and it was a shock to all of us. But she did her best to carry on and live the life Dave would have wanted her to. As a couple, they had loved holidays in the sun and Gill continued to visit their favourite places even after he passed away.
Gill’s memory and legacy
After a lifetime of public service and making a difference to others, Gill retired and moved closer to Hannah’s parents in the countryside, hoping to start a new chapter, often spending Christmas with Hannah’s family. But sadly, just a year later, Gill died at the Pilgrims Hospice in Canterbury.
Gill was diagnosed with a type of cancer called Sarcoma, and despite an operation to tackle it, she passed away several months later. It was devastating for all of us. Before she died, she explained how she wanted to leave a gift to the Charity for Civil Servants… She liked the idea of helping her colleagues through tough times, the people she had grown to call friends.
…being a civil servant myself, I understand how important it is to look after each other. Like Gill and my parents, I chose to be a civil servant because I wanted to make a difference. Gill has chosen to continue to do this even in death and I’m proud to help her.
Get involved
If you’re a civil servant facing a tough time – find out how we can help you.
Like Gill, consider leaving a gift to the Charity in your Will and help be the umbrella that protects civil servants in the future when unexpected events happen. With you alongside us, we can do even more to support civil servants.
