The only child of a devoted couple who died one month and one day apart from each other after brave battles with coronavirus has said her parents were “everything to me".
Hazel Gray spoke to the Impartial Reporter about “the big hole in our lives now” following the death of her parents, Violet and George Little to a pandemic that has taken many lives in this community.
Hazel buried her beloved mother Violet on Tuesday, January 19 almost one month to the day after her beloved father George. The Lisbellaw couple were devoted to each other.
Their loving daughter described them as “a team". She added: “I often thought what one would do without the other, but a month and a day was all they could do without each other.”
Hazel became emotional as she described her parents as “everything to me”.
She continued: “They were everything, no matter what problem you had, they could help you. They helped me so much. My father would have done the school runs when needed, my mother helped the kid with homework if she could.”
SEE MORE: Heartbreak as Fermanagh grandfather George is laid to rest
George had entered the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) on December 6, and Violet on December 10. The two were in rooms next to each other and Violet was wheeled in to see her husband of 53 years the week before he died.
Violet's condition began to deteriorate on December 20, the day of George’s funeral.
“I just can’t imagine what she went through in there, knowing that my father had died, and the nurses did say that she watched the clock, she was probably wondering what was happening and she knew the funeral was that day and she would have been all alone. The four walls of the room were very lonely.”
Hazel continued: “It is very hard to accept that both my parents died alone in their hospital rooms with no one with them. I have not even been able to get an accurate time of death as both were discovered to have passed away by nurses doing their rounds.”
It was not the first time Violet, a real fighter, had been seriously ill.
“It just took me back to June 21, 2002 when we thought we were going to lose her.”
Violet had been in ill health for almost 20 years after having a stroke in 1992 and second stroke in 2002. After her second stroke, she had then fallen from her bed and broken her hip, it took a month for the injury to be picked up by doctors which led to septicaemia and Violet spending the rest of her life in a wheelchair.at the time.
George adapted to home life and caring for his wife Violet and taking on new roles, doing the washing, bringing the clothes off the line and cooking. Hazel commented: “One was the brain and one was the doer, they were just a double act.”
Throughout her month in the SWAH Covid-19 ward, Violet’s condition peaked and troughed. Her condition began to deteriorate on December 20 after her family was told she should be able to go home on December 18.
Reflecting on her mother’s passing Hazel said: “I always thought if anyone could beat this, my mum could. Despite the fact she was wheelchair bound and she had so much against her, she was some fighter, she would let nothing stop her doing anything. She could do anything in her head. All the things she did when she was fit and able, she thought she could still do. Even if her body wasn’t able.”
Describing her mother, Hazel said: “She was unbelievably strong, there is not another woman that I know who was as strong, who could have overcome all of that.”
Violet was resilient despite her circumstances.
Hazel added: “She never ever complained. She never asked, ‘why me, why am I in this chair?’ and her wee saying was ‘sure what do you do’ meaning you you have to get on with things no matter what life threw at you.”
The hugely popular couple had many interests, George was an active member of Ballyreagh Silver Band throughout his wife, both of their funeral corteges paused at the band hall for their respective funerals, allowing for fellow members and the community to pay their respect to the popular couple.
Violet was an animal lover and “a mind of information.” Hazel continued: “She had served as a secretary for the young Unionists, she did secretarial work, she loved to watch quiz programmes and if you asked her any question, she would know the answer. She also loved magazines and crosswords and puzzles.”
Violet Louisa Little of Coolbuck, Lisbellaw died on January 17, 2021. She was predeceased by her husband George in December. The couple are buried at Tempo Parish Church. She is survived by her daughter Hazel, her grandchildren; Mattthew, Rebecca and Emily and her brother Billy. Funeral arrangements were carried out by Marcus Madill, S.R Elliott Funeral Directors.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here