Anna Tickle (née Minogue) was a person of boundless energy, warmth and compassion

The death occurred recently of Anastasia (Anna) Teresa Tickle (née Minogue).
Anna’s life was driven by her faith, her family and her friends; her belief never waivered even during difficult times, her children were her great pride, she made new friends quickly and kept old friends close.

Anna was born on April 2, 1935 to Michael and Katherine Minogue of Thomastown. Though she left Ireland as a young woman, she never forgot her heritage and anyone with the remotest connection to ‘home’ could be sure of her close attention. She frequently reflected fondly and told stories of her childhood by the River Nore, her parents and her sisters. The eldest sister, Rena, took Anna on as an apprentice and she qualified as a seamstress.

Anna came to England to study nursing at Chelmsford and Essex Hospital where she qualified as the youngest Staff Sister in the Essex Area Health Authority. After working between the three hospitals in the area, Chelmsford and Essex, Broomfield and St John’s, she made the move to the GP surgery in nearby Danbury. From there she served the community as Dispensing Nurse and District Nurse.

It was during her time at Chelmsford that she met the young engineer, Graham, who was to become her husband and life partner of 63 years.
They married in 1960 and had three children who experienced the full depth of her love and devotion and her skill with a needle and thread.

“A qualification is no weight to carry” was a mantra that fuelled her desire to secure a good education for them.
It has been suggested that once the young family decided to move to Danbury, they visited the English Martyrs Catholic Church before approaching any estate agents. Anna quickly signed up for the cleaning and flower arranging rota and they built a lasting relationship with the parish and the congregation that showed the full depths of Anna’s constancy and fidelity. She sewed vestments and altar cloths and conscripted her sons as altar servers. She further served her community by bringing the host to those who were unable to attend Holy Communion at Mass. In 2016 she and Graham were awarded the Benemerenti Medal for services to the Catholic Church.

In keeping with the dedication and stamina that she showed throughout her life, Anna completed 40 years of service with the NHS before retiring. But she never stopped caring. Many people can bear testament that Anna was there in troubled times as well as the good times. Her warmth and compassion were felt by all of her friends and by the many people who were yet to become friends.

Between campaigning for Amnesty International, feeding the homeless, making bespoke wedding dresses, caring for her grandchildren, repairing Plumptre Lane and knitting caps for underweight babies, Anna joined a quilting group and became a lace and handicrafts judge at the WI.

Her later years were sadly scourged by Parkinsonism and dementia. Her time in nursing had already acquainted her with the consequences of the conditions and the diagnoses came as a body blow. Yet still her thoughts were concentrated on the welfare of others before herself. Anna’s health deteriorated to the extent that care could no longer be provided in her own home, so she and Graham moved to Hutton View Care Home near Brentwood. On Christmas Eve 2023, she became very unwell and passed peacefully away on January 3 with her husband and daughter by her side.

Her son, Simon writes: “In the last few weeks we have been speaking to her friends and they have reminded us of the friendship, warmth and compassion that Anna had showed them. They have exchanged stories with us that demonstrated what a strong and resolute woman she was and we have been drawn back to those precious years when we were children and she was our mother.”

Anna will be remembered as a woman blessed with boundless warmth and compassion and limitless energy and enthusiasm. She made an impact on anyone she met and will be sadly missed by her family and all those who knew her.
Anna’s funeral was held at the English Martyrs Catholic Church, followed by cremation at Chelmsford Crematorium. She is survived by husband Graham; children Christina, Simon and Brian; grandchildren Katy, James and Joseph and sisters, Margaret (Peggy) James and Mary (Mossie) Doyle.