Joan Winifred Baker 28 October 1921 – 2 December 2012 Joan Winifred Baker was born in October 1921 the only daughter of Winifred and Arthur Lungley. She grew up in West Wickham, Kent and when the second world war broke out joined the ATS. During the war she met and married my father John (Jack) Baker. Jack was a recent Engineering Graduate from Imperial College who joined The Royal Corps of Signals. He was awarded an MBE for his signals work on the Dunkirk beaches during the evacuation of 1940. By the end of the war Jack had been promoted to Major in the RCS. I remember that she told me a story that when they were courting my father had an open top sports car. My mother had long wavy hair, as was fashionable in the late 1930’s, in fact she was a beautiful woman. On an early date they went out in the car and my mother’s hair got so tangled it had to be cut. At the next date, my father did not recognize her as she now had short hair! Married in January 1944, my sister, Carole, was born a year later in 1945. After the war my father joined the Iraq petroleum company and the family lived in Tripoli in the Lebanon for three years. My mother spoke of the souks, Arabic coffee and the lifestyle in the “Paris of the Middle East” with fond memories and she formed friendships that lasted a lifetime, such as that with Nan and Bob Dale and their children. After my father’s death, to my surprise, I found a shoebox full of photographs including many from their time in Tripoli, including photographs of the Cedars of Lebanon with my parents skiing and my mother, very elegant in riding clothes. They returned to the UK in time for Carole to start at Bromley High School at age 7, and lived in West Wickham, moving to Beckenham in 1977, when I was 10 years old. As many parents do, my mother formed some lasting friendships as a result of Carole’s school friends. Through Susan Williams (nee Cormack) my mother met Bill and Bea Cormack who became life-long friends and my own God Parents, and Susan has remained in close contact with my mother over the years. Another long-lasting friendship was with Angela Whitaker and her parents. Joan worked for a short time in the tax office, but her life’s occupation was really as wife, hostess and mother. In the former roles she supported my father in business, entertained frequently in our own home and travelled widely with him. The parties at our home became legendary for family and friends alike, and there was always far too much to eat because of my mother’s love of cooking. Some of my father’s army and business colleagues turned into more than colleagues and there have been enduring friendships with the Harndens, the Barnes’ family, the Leoffler’s and Heywood’s to name a few. Joan enjoyed travelling with my father on business, and she took up a hobby of taking cine films – long before the advent of digital media. Family and friends enjoyed these movies, edited by Jack, and I recall her joy of visiting Japan, India, South Africa and Israel as well as many European countries. Joan was very involved with the Ladies Guild and the Women’s Institute, and for a number of years enjoyed participating in a home catering business run with some friends. She loved theatre, especially musicals, farces and pantomimes. Joan moved to Abbey Court in Chertsey in 1991 following the sudden death of Jack. Here she found a compatible living environment, close to my sister, her children, James and Anna, and second husband David Fear. Living near the river Thames opened up a new world and she enjoyed many days on the motor yachts that Carole and David owned. Through the Thames Motor Yacht club she made new friends – some of whom are here today. She was deeply and lastingly affected by the death of Carole from cancer in 2004. However, until recently Joan maintained her health and walked regularly to Sainsbury’s, the post office and the hairdressers and participated in the Friday lunch club, card games, bingo sessions and scrabble games at Abbey Court. Many Abbey Court friends will remember her most recently participating in the McMillan Coffee morning. Joan was indebted to a number of people in Chertsey who supported her over the past years – particularly David Fear, Pat Weston, Tracy, Iris, and Margaret, as well as all those who have visited her during the final weeks. Joan was very proud of the achievements of her children and grand children. Carole’s career as a hospital doctor was always spoken of with respect and pride, Joan and Jack attend a presentation that I gave on my MSc studies in Johannesburg and it was clear how much they enjoyed participating in that event. Her grandchildren have achieved great academic success and their careers in accountancy, meteorology and medicine have given her great pleasure, even if it was not always clearly expressed. It was, I believe, a source of deep comfort that in the finals days and weeks James, Anna, Alex, Howard and I were all able to be with her and share memories of much happier times. She is survived by her daughter Rosalind, grand children James, Anna and Alexandra and great grand-daughter Cassia. Rosalind Cheetham