Parish of Leatherhead
Mollie Canning
25th July 1920 - 25th October 2020
John Canning CEng MRAeS
12 July 1914 - 8 April 1994
Mollie came to live in Leatherhead, Surrey in 1969, but she was no stranger to the town. She said: “During the war I worked for the Air Ministry, and we were evacuated to Leatherhead. We worked in the Priory in Dorking Road, and I was in a little office upstairs in the cottage on the right of the gate. I had lodgings in Poplar Road. It was here I met my future husband John. He was lodging in Ashtead, but they didn’t like having evacuees there, so he moved to Poplar Road too, right opposite me. My boss, who was an officer wounded in the First World War, took me aside and said ‘Don’t get your hopes up, dear, engineers don’t marry clerks’. I thought, I’m going to make sure that this one does.” They married in 1942 and went on to have four children, and she now boasts eleven grandchildren, and twenty great-grandchildren. Before moving back to Leatherhead, they lived in St Albans and Chester. The Cannings were always much involved within the Leatherhead parish, and John was churchwarden during the 1980s. After his death in 1993, Mollie continued her close connections with the church, and took on entertaining newcomers to the church. She was a Marriage Guidance counsellor for many years, and has always enjoyed being involved with people. She is also a very keen gardener. Mollie was a founder member of the Leatherhead Community Association and is a keen supporter of the Thursday Lunchtime concerts held at the Methodist Church on Thursdays. In February she was elected Honorary President of the LCAS, the charity which organises these concerts. They had intended a live concert in her honour, featuring the harp, her favourite instrument, but this could not be. Friends at the church were able to arrange for a harpist to play in front of her house on her birthday. Since her birthday Mollie has gone to stay with her daughter and family in Bedfordshire and we wish her every blessing. This article also appeared in the Surrey Mirror Frank Haslam adds that you may enjoy listening to Mollie’s reminiscences in an Oral History recording on the Leatherhead & District Local History Society website - please click here
The music links
may include advertising' which you can skip.
For the service which took place at St Mary & St Nicholas, Leatherhead, on 26 November 2021, please click here. Entrance Music: Steal Away Arranged by Michael Tippett Welcome
We meet in the
name of Jesus Christ who died and was raised to the glory of
God the Father.
Grace and peace be with you. Welcome to all to Mollie's funeral. Someone who is most dear to all of us here whether we've known her a few weeks or your entire lives. And as part of my welcome, I welcome so many who are joining us today via the recorder. Friends, some family members are unable to be here and those from Anjulita Court [Care Home] and I know the family wish to thank the carers at Anjulita. So Martin, would
you like to come and give us our Bible reading. Thank you
Bible Reading:
1 Corinthians 13
Read by Martin
Love is patient,
love is kind.
It is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not
insist on its own way.
It is not irritable or resentful. Love does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things; believes all things; hopes all things; endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away. As for tongues, they will cease. As for knowledge, it too will pass away. For now we see in a glass darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in
part.
But then I shall know even as I am known. So faith, hope, love abide; these three. But the greatest of these is love. Opening
Prayers
Let us pray. God
is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Heavenly Father, you have not made us for darkness and death,
but for life with you forever. As we remember Mollie, look
with compassion on us in our loss. Give to troubled hearts,
the light of hope and strengthen in us the gift of faith in
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The great St.
Augustine said that, to make music to sing is to pray twice,
and how fitting that we should be listening to the Hallelujah
Chorus next.
Music: Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah by G.
F. Handel
I'm going to
invite Chris, Vanessa and David to come now to give tributes
and to read the poem. Thank you.
Tributes
By Chris and Vanessa Chris:
Granny Mollie, or wee Granny, as we call them in Scotland,
always used to struggle with my accent. So I will try and do
my best by her and speak as clearly as I can.
When I think of
Granny Mollie, the overwhelming feeling I have is the love
that she shared with us all, but also a sense of easy
joyfulness. And what I mean by that is this, she was able to
find joy in almost anything. She approached everything in life
with a sense of interest and laugh, even the most mundane of
things. And that joy sort of spread out from her.
And I always felt
lifted, your heart and your soul. And whenever you'd finished
having a conversation with her, you always felt much better.
And it could be
the simplest of things. When we had our first son, Becky was
changing Owen's nappy in front of her. And she said, "Oh, wow,
I'd have never thought to use a toy to distract Owen". And
that meant the world to Becky, really gave her a confidence
boost from someone that was so worldly-wise.
Or it could be
after a long discussion about politics or technology. She
would listen carefully. And she would always have the final
words. And she would usually say something along the lines of
"Well, dear, it's quite beyond me". And then she would turn to
you, and she would give you a little wink and a little smile,
a little wry smile. And you always left feeling that she
listened to what you had to say. She had taken all in and then
she decided to take the lighter side of things.
She could even
find joy in the most disgusting of things, such as when my
daughter decided that she really should hold our African land
snail, which is a giant thing about this size. She gamely put
it on a hand and she smiled so as not to let her grandchildren
down, let it slime her hand, way across her hand.
And there was
nothing more joyful in my eyes than seeing her lift her head
back, put her hand on her stomach, lean back slightly and give
a very hearty laugh, her shoulders shaking and her eyes closed
with delight.
I felt very
fortunate. Granny and I shared an interest in architecture and
art. And we used to converse with with each other through
letters and she would send me newspaper clippings. And her
letters were always very down to earth, full of optimism and
weighty observations. And the thing is, I always felt like she
was so interested in all things in life, that we could
probably all find something that we could connect with. And I
think that all made us feel special in her eyes.
I like to recall
my most treasured memories, which is travelling down the M6
through the night usually turning up at weird and wonderful
hours at Farm Cottage and I knew that the next few days were
going to be special and be joyous when we had big family
gatherings.
I was a shy boy,
I still am a little bit. And I did find it overwhelming but I
loved I loved it. I loved watching Granny in the kitchen
preparing our Coronation Chicken. I loved eating her Flapjack
biscuits. I loved waiting for everyone to turn up and she
would hug and kiss everyone as they turned up. I loved
watching Grandpa John and Uncle Eric playing soft cricket in
the garden with the kids. I loved hearing Auntie Enid's
raucous laugh, the smell of lemon and the chink of ice and
fizzy gin & tonic in the background, filling the air.
And I loved
watching my older cousins getting dressed up in Granny's
dressing-up clothes and strutting their stuff around the
garden. They were family days, they were joyous days. And at
the centre of all was Granny Mollie. So today my heart hurts.
But that's because it's full of love that she shared with us
all. She lived a long life and it was filled with love. And
that is a life that has been lived to its fullest.
So I'd like to
say that although she is gone, she will never be forgotten.
She lives on in each and every one of us. We are her family
and we will carry her love on into the future generations. So
when this pandemic is over. Let's come together and let's
celebrate Granny Mollie's life, her long, loving, caring life
in one large, joyous family event.
Goodbye Granny. I
love you.
Vanessa: Few are lucky enough to know their grannies for nearly 50 years and fewer still to know such a special one. Always kind, always wise and always fun. I was playing cards with my girls the other day, and it took me right back to Farm Cottage, and the riotous games of Pit and Happy Families around the dining room table. Granny at one end organising it all, and her beloved John at the other, eyes twinkling. And charades and
croquet and lively trips to the Panto, and the family parties
in the sun-kissed garden, her garden gloriously in bloom. Eric
and Enid would be there too. And Little Granny smiling wisely
on. Family of all generations was so important to her. And she
for us was the centre.
There were
quieter times too with just me and Rachel, hide and seek in
the woods, rambles up Box Hill, the memory game, the wonderful
Doll's House, and of course the dressing-up box. I can still
see Grandpa sporting a baby's bonnet and Granny wrapped in an
old tartan blanket. They both played with us endlessly with
such kindness and patience.
In recent years,
Granny talked fondly of her own childhood, adored by her elder
brothers, and brought up in the community of the Plymouth
Brethren. She loved singing on Wandsworth Common and the
tennis matches and group outings. She was sent to a Myopic
School for children with poor eyesight. But she saw that as an
adventure, and not a label, a bus ride across London, and a
chance to play tricks on the teachers and write on slates.
Her secure
childhood, and the gentleness and kindness she inherited from
Little Granny clearly made her the thoughtful and caring
person that she was. I stayed with Granny in my early 20s, as
I recovered from a hip operation, scared and in pain. I can't
imagine anywhere better that I could have been. She supported
me with the care and compassion she had shown so many others
before and after.
We spent the days
playing games, doing crosswords, and slowly hobbling up and
down the garden path. Enid visited and she and Granny told
stories and laughed and laughed, revelling in their long
friendship.
I think some of
her resilience and acceptance may have rubbed off, but sadly
not her passion for gardening. Granny had so many passions,
art and music, travel and religion. She held a deep faith, but
wore it lightly, never thrusting her opinions on you or
judging. But it was her strength and foundation. And the
church and community in Leatherhead, were a huge part of that.
She lived alone
for many years after Grandpa died, but that didn't dampen her
enthusiasm for life. Phoning her to see if she was around for
a cup of tea. She would say, "I can't do Thursday because I'm
popping up to London to the latest art exhibition or the
opera". Or, "not Tuesday because I have to drive one of the
old dears to such and such". Many were younger than her. And
"not next week, because I'm off to Scotland" - or Ireland or
maybe Russia.
She was so full
of life and had an extraordinary interest in everyone and
everything. We were so lucky to be loved, and to love her.
When my eldest was born, it was an obvious choice to name her
after the best person we knew. One so full of positivity and
joy, kindness, and love. We named her Molly.
Poem: Do not stand at my grave and weep
By Mary Frye Read by David
This is a poem that I think sums
up Mollie's attitude to life and death.
Do not stand at
my grave and weep,
I am not there; I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glint on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain. When you wake in the morning hush, I am the swift, uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circling flight. I am the soft starlight at night. Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there; I do not sleep. Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there; I did not die. Thank you so much
for two beautiful tributes and the poem, and now a little more
music for time for reflection.
Music: Remember Me Music by Bob
Chilcott, Words by Christina Rossetti
I'm inviting
Rachel now to come and read us the next poem as the music's
faded for us, thank you.
Poem: You can shed tears that she is gone By David Harkins
Read by Rachel
You
can shed tears that she is gone,
Or you can smile because she has lived. You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back, Or
you can open your eyes and see all that she has left.
Your heart can be empty because you cannot see her, Or
you can be full of the love that you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday, Or you can be
happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her and only that she is gone, Or you can cherish her memory and let it live on. You can cry and close your mind, Be empty and turn your back, Or you can do what she would want: Smile, open your eyes, love, and go on. Address
The Reverend Sarah Burrow on behalf of Canon David Eaton. Thank you Rachel.
Mollie would have loved the fact
that so many of you are actually participating today.
It's now my privilege to
deliver the Address that has been written by David Eaton, who
was Mollie's parish priest for many years and a good friend, I
gather, to Mollie and her husband.
In the name of the Father and
the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Mollie leaves a rich legacy. The
legacy is who she was and all that she meant to so many people.
While many of us in later life are doing a fair impersonation of
Victor Meldrew, this was never going to be Mollie's way, she was
full of energy for living into deep later life.
Her interest was clothed in love
and kindness and a genuine concern to put other people before
herself. She enjoyed people for their own sake, and they
certainly enjoyed knowing her. Her sense of fun and
good-heartedness meant you were always glad to have met her, and
have shared time with her.
This, of course, was nowhere
more true than with the family, which she and John had raised
together, loved dearly, and as the years went by, seemed to
reach to the far horizon. But many, though they may be, Mollie
was in touch. This was not out of duty, but a genuine care and
interest in what was happening to each one of her expanding
family. They loved her for it, and held her deep in their
hearts.
And if family was important, so
too were friends, her many friends who would have been here
today in normal circumstances, and a memorial service, to come
in Leatherhead will give opportunity for this to happen.
Thankful to have known Mollie, there is sadness that her death,
but also much celebration for a life lived to the full. It is a
celebration, which was shared in by the Queen, because the
secret of longevity is that very quality which Mollie had in
abundance, an optimistic and hopeful spirit. It gave her a
contentment and acceptance to be envied. She was always
tolerant, inclusive, forgiving, and encouraging.
I got to know Mollie because
there could not have been a more faithful church member at St.
Mary and St. Nicholas. This was the case during my time there as
incumbent, but equally so before and after my time. She was
faithful in the sense always there to offer support, church was
central. She was keen to give lifts to church to those who
otherwise would not make it. These she described as her
old people, even though many were younger than she was.
But she was also faithful
because she was always a faithful Christian disciple. She often
said she didn't know how others got by without it. Her devotion
was real, her commitment without question. She had a sensitive
spiritual awareness that made prayer her natural second
language. Her faith was not naive but thoughtful and reflective.
And she was well informed,
wouldn't settle for a platitude or anything superficial. It had
to ring true in her experience and the experience of those she
knew and had listened to. Her spirituality spilled over into the
arts, well read, she usually had a book on the go. She liked
nothing more than a trip to London to one and sometimes two
exhibitions, or performances in a day. When others were grasping
for a chair and a coffee, she carried on with her energy, her
love of life and artistic creativity, whether painting, opera or
music.
There was in Mollie, often masked by her selfdeprecation, some steel as well, demonstrated by her daily walks, which continued into her 90s. Captain Tom, you are not alone. As understanding as Mollie was,
she didn't fight shy of having her own opinions. And it was
always good to hear because she was so well informed.
So it is with much love and
thankfulness we commit Mollie into God's safekeeping. We each
have our own memories to recall, her legacy, our treasures. She
will be missed. She brought so much to everyone who knew her.
She sets us the best of examples of how to live life to the
full.
There can be no doubt a warm
welcome awaits in heaven and great will be her reward. Jesus
said, I go to prepare a place for you. I will come again to take
you to myself.
May she rest in peace and rise
in glory. Amen.
Prayers and The Lord's Prayer As we remember Mollie, with love and gratitude, and pray for all who mourn her, let us join all our prayers in the words Jesus taught us: Our
Father, who art in heaven
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done On
earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread And
forgive us our trespasses
As
we forgive them who trespass against us.
And
lead us not into temptation
But
deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom The
power and the glory
For ever and
ever.
Amen Now before the
commendation and committal, we hear a part of Lux Aeterna.
Music: Lux Aeterna by Edward Elgar, Arranged by John
Cameron
Commendation
and Committal
I invite you now to stand for the Commendation and Committal. Let us commend
Mollie to the mercy of God, our Maker and our Redeemer.
God our Creator and Redeemer, by your power Christ conquered death and entered into glory. Confident of his victory and claiming his promises, we entrust Mollie to your mercy in the name of Jesus our Lord who died and is alive and reigns with you , now and forever. Amen. The Lord is full
of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great goodness
as a father is tender towards his children. So is the Lord
tender to those that fear him.
We have entrusted
Mollie to God's mercy, and we now commit her body to be
cremated. to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, in sure and
certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our
Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our frail bodies, that
they may be conformed to His glorious body who died, was
buried and rose again for us. To him be glory for forever. Amen.
Closing
Prayers and Blessing
Please sit for
the blessing.
May God give you
his comfort and his peace, his light and his joy in this
world, and in the next and the blessing of God Almighty the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, rest upon you, and
remain with you always. Amen.
Departure
Music: In Paradisum from Requiem
by Gabriel Fauré
We hope to hold
a Memorial Service in Leatherhead later.
You can shed
tears that she is gone
Or you can smile because she has lived. for the back page of photos see
the November 2021 service below
Leatherhead Parish Bulletin, February 2021 CHURCH FAMILY NEWS - MOLLIE CANNING’S BENCH IS NOW IN PLACE The bench in memory of Mollie Canning has now been installed in the Park Gardens just below the church, and it looks splendid. The inspiration for the bench came from the Leatherhead Community Association, under the leadership of their Chairman, June Robinson. They planned it, raised the money, and with the help of Robin Davis, the Parks and Landscapes Officer for Mole Valley, arranged its installation. Mollie was always “nearer God’s heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth”, and it’s a great place to sit and watch the view and remember her.
The music links
may include advertising, which you can skip.
For the recording of this service please click here Organ
Luke
Usher-Somers
Choir
Mickleham
Choral Society
Conducted by
Juliet Hornby
You can shed tears
that she is gone
Or you can smile
because she has lived.
Order of ServiceOrgan Voluntary
WELCOME AND
INTRODUCTION
The Reverend
Canon David Eaton
Grace and mercy be with you and also with you. We look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient but the things that are unseen are eternal. Today we come together to remember before God Mollie, to give thanks for her life and to comfort one another in our grief. Father in heaven, we praise your name for all who have finished this life loving and trusting you, for the example of their lives, the life and grace you gave them and the peace in which they rest. We praise you today for your servant Mollie and for all that you did through her. Meet us in our sadness and fill our hearts with praise and thanksgiving, for the sake of our risen Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen. 1 CORINTHIANS 13 Read by Martin Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable or resentful. Love does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things; believes all things; hopes all things; endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away. As for tongues, they will cease. As for knowledge, it too will pass away. For now we see in a glass darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part. But then I shall know even as I am known. So faith, hope, love abide; these three. But the greatest of these is love. HYMN sung in Wells Cathedral Love divine, all loves excelling joy of heav'n, to earth come down, fix in us thy humble dwelling, all thy faithful mercies crown. Jesus, thou art all compassion, pure, unbounded love thou art. Visit us with thy salvation; enter ev'ry trembling heart. Come, Almighty, to deliver, let us all thy life receive. Suddenly return, and never, Never more thy temples leave. Thee we would be always blessing, serve thee as thy hosts above, pray, and praise thee without ceasing, glory in thy perfect love. Finish, then, thy new creation; true and spotless let us be. Let us see thy great salvation perfectly restored in thee. Changed from glory into glory, till in heav'n we take our place, till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love and praise. TRIBUTES By Elizabeth, Bryan and Chris Elizabeth:
Our mother Mollie was known by and answered to many names.
Hilda, her birth name when she was at school and latterly with hospitals; Mollie, Moll, Mummy, Mum, Ma, Aunt, Auntie, Grandma, Granny to Greengage baa lamb (more later) and Granny Goat. As a Doling she was brought up with a love of sport, the arts, music and debate. I think she played the violin at one time but possibly not very well. On Bank Holidays they would catch the train to Surrey and walk up Box Hill. She therefore didn’t think twice about walking us all up to the town for provisions and our quota of orange juice and cod liver oil. Nor of walking to Verulamium Park to play tennis. Both these treks to us were about two and a half miles each way. Quite a long way when you are small. Our prep school was a 5 mile bus ride plus one mile walk the other end. On Sundays after matins and lunch we would go for a local family walk in all weathers. Sometimes we would travel to Ivanhoe Beacon or Dunstable Downs. Mother did a lot of sewing and knitting. Skirts and dresses for the girls, trousers and shirts for the boys - sweaters for us all. There was no television, only radio and gramophone, so you had to make your own entertainment. Social evenings were cups of tea and sandwiches. Cards, Beetle drives and the noisy game PIT. Cricket was played with the boys after the girls were supposed to be in bed. I used to hang out of the window longing to join them. There was never a dull moment in our home. Mother was a very capable/organised person and she also thrived on having people around her. She was never afraid of hard work, (no mod cons in those days). From what I recall, the only jobs we were asked to help with as children were the washing up and topping and tailing the gooseberries. She was an active member of the local community being very involved with the Young Wives, Church cleaning and later the Mother’s Union. She gave many 'talks' to other groups in the area, which my father had to ferry her to and from. On these occasions she would get us our tea and lie on the dining room floor for forty winks. We used to talk to her and she would mumble something indecipherable. This is when we used to ask her if she was a 'Greengage Baa Lamb' to which she would reply “yes”. She made and kept many friends from wherever she lived - from schooldays, work in London where she used to play tennis on what are now lawns at the Inns of Court; Smallfield; St. Albans, Chester, and Leatherhead where she lived the longest. Our home was always 'open house' to neighbours such as the Smiths, Boultons, Hughes, Raes, Nelsons, Blands and Atkinsons as well as our bachelor vicar The Rev Anthony Hart Sinnot. We learned to share. Mother invited children from a local children’s home for tea and to play with us on several occasions. That was quite an eye opener for us and taught us that not everybody was as lucky as we were. We had various people living with us at times including John’s brother Robin and his daughter, our cousin Charis, our Grandfather George Canning, Peter Burns and Michael Gwinnell. I only saw my mother really upset once which was when two little sisters we knew were killed in a road accident. The only time alcohol was seen in the house was around Christmas time when there would be beer, sherry and brandy. Stirring the brandy in to the Christmas pudding then tasting the mixture put me off brandy for life! Christmases with our cousins was always noisy, full of fun, singing and debate. Of course there were sometimes differences of opinion but these were always resolved with mother concentrating on the positives and dismissing the negatives. Our father usually had the last word but would always be in agreement with mother. In his eyes she could do no wrong and if she was happy - which was most of the time - that was all that mattered. There were monthly concerts at the Albert Hall which we enjoyed from the 'Gods'. She had a secret habit of standing in the larder eating a vanilla slice or cream bun after shopping - she obviously needed the sugar fix to keep her going. Maggie and I caught her out and asked to have some but she told us it was her little treat. Later in her life she visited India, Bahrain, Indonesia, Portugal, Austria, Germany and Russia but when we were young she wanted to see the world and travel. A start to this was made by taking the boys camping in England and going to night school to learn conversational French. The following year we all piled in the car with the camping gear. We were off to tour the Continent for three weeks. Much sightseeing and many art galleries to visit with the odd couple of days off to relax in the sun. Many similar holidays followed, including Norway, Italy and Switzerland. At this stage mother didn’t drive. By the time she did learn three of us siblings were already driving. Driving opened up a whole new world for mother and made her very independent. There was no stopping her now! She remained interested in sport and the arts all her life. Religiously doing her exercises after various operations. She was even doing her mile walks until she was 100 where she remained in her own home with some wonderful support from her very good friends in Leatherhead. She always said she wanted to be a teacher or nurse and I think she achieved both those wishes whilst bringing the four of us up. Bryan:
Mollie Canning was a genuinely lovely lady and it has been
been a real privilege for all of us to have known her either
as a relative, as friend or as an acquaintance. A picture is
worth a thousand words and to me the full colour photograph on
the order of service today encapsulates all I want to briefly
mention about her.
 Mollie was my aunt. She had two brothers, Norman and Eric. All three came from modest backgrounds in South London, Wandsworth, but all were successful in the greasy pole of life. Norman, my Dad,
became a bank manager in Piccadilly, in the days when they
still had the amazing ability to have a manager in the branch.
My Uncle Eric
rose to eminence in the Civil Service in the days when civil
servants wrote to you and said 'Dear Sir' and signed off 'Your
obedient Servant'.
Both brothers did
well and so did Mollie. I think her crowning achievement was
to marry John Canning, a highly qualified aeronautical
engineer, who I always regarded as the most kindly, friendly
and sociable of men, with a permanent smile, although able to
exercise the necessary discipline over these four somewhat
boisterous children.
I just want to
emphasise three of Mollie's strongest characteristics which I
know endeared her to us all.
The first thing
was she was vivacious. When in her company, you couldn't come
away without a sense of having spent time with a person who is
enthusiastic about life and was keen and able to pass that
enthusiasm on to you, and this applied even in her latter
years.
Secondly, she was
gregarious, friendly, sociable - interested in you personally,
and giving you her whole attention.
We used to come
for a number of years to the Godalming Operatic Society
productions in the theatre here. We'd have lunch with them
first and have tea with them afterwards. We'd say what is she
doing in retirement? Going to London concerts: writing copious
letters to people; being involved with many folks from the
church here; meeting and chatting with friends by the river
and keeping up with her growing family.
She had a wide
circle of friends and relations, four children, I believe
eleven grandchildren and I think I am right in saying twenty
great grandchildren.
Thirdly, she was
gracious. The dictionary definition is having charm, good
taste, and generosity of spirit. She had those to the full.
Often we said to her, what was she doing on a particular day,
she'd be helping, as she put it, the old people, many of them
younger than she.
So she was
adventurous, she was gregarious, she was gracious. One more
quality and that's in the terms of a poem:
The wise old
owl sat in an oak.
The more he
heard the less he spoke;
The less he
spoke the more he heard;
Why aren't we
all like that wise old bird?
Now that to me
describes Mollie perfectly. I always regarded her as
incredibly percipient. She would ask you a question - I'm sure
she full well knew the answer, but she'd you draw you out into
animated conversation, which would finish with both of you
have expanded your knowledge and the breadth of opinions
debated.
Vivacious,
gregarious, gracious. In the words of the poem let's emulate
that wise old ... lady in all her characteristics and as she
did, do our part to make this world a happier place. Mollie
thank you for the positive way in which you've enriched our
lives.
Chris: see the tribute Chris gave in the 2020 service above. Love. Fare thee well by Johannes Brahms Sung by the Choir - it starts at 23:26 in the recording  Mickleham Choral Society Choir By Vanessa and Jill Vanessa: see the tribute Vanessa gave in the 2020 service above Jill Goodchild: I first met Mollie when I started coming to this church about 40 years ago. The call had gone out for home-baked cakes to sell at the Autumn Market and when I was delivering one of these (I must have known how to bake a cake then) to the Parish Hall, I was greeted by Mollie's legendary beautiful smile. She was on the stage surrounded by hundreds of books which was a good place for her to be. Some years later she and I took on the bric-a-brac stall which we much enjoyed (fortified by a secret glass of sherry at lunchtime). She had a much better idea of pricing than I had and would get advice from an antique dealer in Leatherhead. Later on we started a craft stall and were joined by Helena [Hill] and her lovely patchwork. Mollie knitted miles of colourful scarves which flew off the stall. Has anyone here not got one? I'm wearing one of mine. I think that Mollie's greatest passion in life, apart from her lovely family, music, walking and books was art appreciation. She would set off to London on the train and take in a couple of galleries. She preferred to do this on her own as chatting would detract from the art itself. When I took up painting after retirement, she was always very encouraging and keen to see and discuss what I was working on. She loved to come to our local Art Club exhibitions and would look at every painting and have an apposite comment to make. I think the family tried to curb her passion for buying paintings, without much success. I do remember taking her to a Private Show by an artist who had been very inspirational to me - and both coming home with a canvas under our arm, without having had any plan to do so. In recent times, during the first Lockdown we used to meet at Fetcham Mill Pond where she loved to watch the wildlife and chat to passers-by. When I discovered that she was walking more than a mile a day in her 100th year, we set up a fundraising page in aid of Mencap which she had supported over countless years, collecting jumble for them in her garage all the year round. This raised a very good sum, thanks to the generosity of her lovely family and friends. It is very fitting that Mollie's ashes are now buried here alongside her beloved John's, because it is within sight of their meeting place. Neither of them grew up here, but during the War the Air Ministry was evacuated to Leatherhead and when Mollie's boss heard that she was sweet on John he warned her that "Officers don't marry clerks". Her reply was "This one will" and thus a dynasty was born. I visited Mollie in hospital a couple of years ago and when I was leaving I heard her say to the nurse "she is my best friend". What a privilege and a joy to have had such a one in my life. POEM by David Harkins Read by Rachel Rachel:
I'm just wondering if I can just share one tiny memory of
Granny. Russia has come up twice this
morning. I was actually living in Russia when she and her
friend Mad Meg - I have got no idea whether she was mad, she
didn't seem mad to me - came on one of those trips, cruise
boat trips.
They came to have dinner with me one evening and after dinner I put them in a taxi cab. It actually wasn't a taxi cab, just private cars in the 1990s in Moscow. Probably not the most sensible thing to do with your 80 year-old Granny and her friend. But I put them in this cab. I talked to her the next day - did they get back to the hotel all right and so on? She said "Darling, I had the most wonderful conversation with the taxi driver." Well, given that the taxi driver spoke not a word of English and she spoke not a word of Russian, I have literally no idea how they communicated. To me that was absolutely what Granny was and why so many amazing people are here today. So, that's just my memory. For the poem Rachel read, see the 2020 service above. HYMN King's College Chapel Choir Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways; reclothe us in our rightful mind, in purer lives thy service find, in deeper reverence, praise. In simple trust like theirs who heard beside the Syrian sea the gracious calling of the Lord, let us, like them, without a word rise up and follow thee. O Sabbath rest by Galilee, O calm of hills above, where Jesus knelt to share with thee the silence of eternity, interpreted by love! Drop thy still dews of quietness, till all our strivings cease; take from our souls the strain and stress, and let our ordered lives confess the beauty of thy peace. Breathe through the heats of our desire thy coolness and thy balm; let sense be dumb, let flesh retire; speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire, O still, small voice of calm! Address The Reverend Canon David Eaton [former Vicar of Leatherhead] The tributes we have heard paint a vivid and true picture of Mollie as we knew and loved her. In this they are like the photograph on the front cover of the Order of Service which catches her just as she was. Both are Mollie to a tee and why we are here today – to celebrate her life, to raise a cheer with hats in the air because we were fortunate enough to have known her and spent time with her.  She was always
the kind of person you remember and pleased to call your
friend. She was a great example of what it means to be a human
being at its best. And because of all this she drew out much
love in others for her – not in any self indulgent kind of way
but just by unassumingly being her self.
It was this that no doubt caught John’s eye, all those years ago. As we heard some may have advised him against but officer and gentleman that he was, that’s why he loved her. They were made for each other and formed a great bond and partnership. Their large and expanding family was a source of much pride and pleasure. Later, although I viewed from a distance, it seemed to me she was the best of Grannies and doted on all her grandchildren taking immense delight in their achievements and activities. I picture her rolling on the floor with them when young and taking them with great authority to the latest exhibition in London as the years advanced. Mollie, I will confess when it comes to being a grandparent you put me in the shade - I want you to know I’m doing my best to follow your good example but you set a scorching pace. So that for me when we come to talk about all things Mollie several things stand out. In church life she was always there. She was the most faithful of church members and could be relied on to be present and giving her full support. More about that in a moment. There was always a welcome. Mollie was pleased to see you ... even if she wasn’t. She had a generous and open spirit which made you feel you mattered to her. She had time for each and everyone she met. This generosity of spirit didn’t mean she was a walkover. She wasn’t just nice and polite. She had insight when it came to people and what made them tick. She could see the dark as well as the light. Because of this she had to be listened to; she was usually right. She was also mighty determined - we have heard about her walking the Fetcham mile and this was a product, in later life, of the steel in her character which had always been there. She had brought up her family and, as every mother knows, to do it properly means you have to be tough at times. With this lot we can see what she was up against, but she won through and so did they. The world is full of good advice about how to live your life and the problems you will encounter if you don’t take it: a hundred press ups a day before breakfast - as if. Woe is me ... I find it hard to imagine how I can have made it this far at all. But it seems to me that there is a quality which Mollie had which outpaces all of these. You can’t buy it at the shops or even from Amazon. She was open to the future. She was an optimist. She steered her ship on an even keel. She knew the world - its dangers and pitfalls - but her glass was half full and her heart hopeful. She was a woman with spirit, a strong woman, although not in the usual sense. She wasn’t necessarily leading the charge - although God bless those who do. She didn’t make a lot of noise or draw attention to herself. Instead she was unassuming and modest. But I suspect it was this spirit - hopeful and strong - which brought that telegram from the Queen on her 100th birthday. Whether it was written in her genes or in the stars I don’t know but her hopefulness was driven by her faith. It wasn’t just that Mollie was a believer but she had a real sense of the presence of God, of spirituality - of what it meant to pray and to see a deeper river running through life. She was devout but not pious, hopeful but always a realist. Liberal and open minded in her attitudes and opinions. Her optimism was based on her trust in a God who would not let her down and was present in all of life. It’s why she had an interest in art appreciation. When she looked at a painting she looked below the surface, she looked for what was hidden ... but to the eye of faith clearly present. Great painting shows you people and life as they really are, sometimes broken, some times glorious. Here were people and places shaped in God’s image and likeness. Here God was to be found and Mollie rejoiced. At the Church of England’s General Synod meeting last week the Archbishop highlighted the loss of membership in the church - down from 20% of the population in the 19th century to less than 2% today. The church could do better but the big influences are outside church control. People have stopped believing. We are secular society, probably the most secular in Europe. God can’t be seen anymore and just isn’t there for many people today. What Mollie brought to the table was an awareness of just where he could be found. He was in her life and she couldn’t imagine life without him. He was the one who gave her hope and kept her on course. What others may attributed to natural causes Mollie saw as the divine hand at work. For her God was the heart beat that kept life going, the life blood that made life possible. Her life and his were wrapped up together, naturally part of each other. And because all this was true it followed that life would make most sense when lived his way. That is why the reading today is so appropriate. St Paul’s eulogy on love was Mollie’s guiding star. It was how she sought to live her life and why we are here today and remember her. She epitomised what Paul wrote as she lived and shared her life with others: patient, kind, not arrogant or rude or resentful, not centred on herself but with a love that reaches out and never ends. Of course she wasn’t perfect ... but who cares? It’s not why we are here and I can’t think what on earth I would say anyway. We are here in celebration and thanksgiving of the human spirit, of hope which springs eternal, of fun and laughter, of friendship and love, of rolling on the floor and dancing in the aisles. Mollie, we miss you; you put a spring in our step and a smile on our face. Thank you. You leave a rich
legacy - a challenge to those of us who come after. Not to settle for the superficial but to always look
deeper in life and faith; to not duck the difficult questions;
to believe in God and recognise his hand at work around us; to
trust in God and be hopeful; to love people; to love yourself;
to be not afraid.
Today we place Mollie safely in the hands of God who was with her all her life and now welcomes her home. She dared to believe that another life beyond this one is possible and it is this she inherits. Sure and certain of a life to come she is home at last. May she rest in
peace and rise in glory.
Amen Prayers of Thanksgiving And now some
prayers.
God our Father, we thank you that you have made each of us in your own image of life and given us gifts and talents with which to serve you. We thank you for Mollie, the years we shared with her, the good we saw in her, the love and friendship we received from her. Give us strength and courage to leave her in your care, confident in your promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Most merciful God, whose wisdom is beyond our understanding, surround Mollie's family with your love, that they may not be overwhelmed by their loss, but have confidence in your goodness and strength to meet the days to come. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Almighty God, Father of all mercies and giver of all comfort: deal graciously, we pray, with those who mourn, that, casting all their care on you, they may know the consolation of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. And we especially remember this time Molie's daughter in law Cathy who is not well and unable to be here, and her husband Paul, Mollie's son. May God bless and be with them at this time. A moment of silence for our own thoughts and prayers. Blessed are you, Sovereign God, ruler and judge of all, to you be praise and glory for ever. In the darkness of this age that is passing away may the light of your presence which the saints enjoy surround our steps as we journey on. May we reflect your glory this day and so be made ready to see your face in the heavenly city where night shall be no more. Blessed be God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen And if it is your practice please join with me in the Lord's Prayer: The Lord's Prayer Our Father, which art in heaven Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive them who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom The power and the glory For ever and ever. Amen HYMN Choir of Westminster Abbey Praise, my soul, the King of heaven; to his feet your tribute bring. Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, who like me his praise should sing. Praise him! Praise him! Praise him! Praise him! Praise the everlasting King! Praise him for his grace and favour to our fathers in distress. Praise him, still the same as ever, slow to chide, and swift to bless. Praise him! Praise him! Praise him! Praise him! Glorious in his faithfulness! Fatherlike he tends and spares us; well our feeble frame he knows. In his hands he gently bears us, rescues us from all our foes. Praise him! Praise him! Praise him! Praise him! Widely as his mercy flows! Angels, help us to adore him; ye behold him face to face. Sun and moon, bow down before him, dwellers all in time and space. Praise him! Praise him! Praise him! Praise him! Praise with us the God of grace! COMMENDATION and BLESSING May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. The blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be with you and those whom you today and for evermore. Amen. Organ Voluntary The family
invited us to join them after the Service for refreshments in
the side aisle of the Church.
All Mollie's
friends have been more than generous in donating already in
her memory,
but should anybody wish to further donate we suggest giving to the Church which she loved, sent to Parish Church c/o Leatherhead Parish Office, Rear of Church Hall, Church Road, Leatherhead KT22 8BD. (Please make cheques payable to Parochial Church Council of Leatherhead or contact the
office 01372 362544 for BACS details)
or to Mencap https://www.iustgiving.com/MollieforMencap
MEMORIES OF
MOLLIE
If
you can add photos or memories to Mollie's page, of her or
John Canning, please contact the editor
Frank Haslam:
I have memories of Committee meetings of the Friends of
Leatherhead Parish Church held at Farm Cottage, somewhere
which to me, then new to the town, had a kind of magical air.
Mollie was so welcoming and John so interesting, though I
noticed his deafness could be put to diplomatic use. I
succeeded him as FLPC Treasurer.
Mollie took
especial interest in young families at church and our three
boys were asked after long after their Sunday School and Choir
days. Her car was frequently to be seen next door to us at the
Venerable Bill and Kathleen Purcell's: what priceless funny
CofE stories must they have shared!
page last
updated: 1 Dec 21: some of the text may be changed when all
contributors have provided feedback.
|
|
David Canning, son:
John was an aeronautical
engineer who came from a family of Wiltshire farmers on his
father’s side. On his mother’s most had been clergy or
soldiers. But by the time he arrived, both families had
established something of an engineering tradition. His
father was a mechanical engineer and his great uncle, Sir Samuel
Canning, was honoured as engineer responsible for laying the
first successful transatlantic cable. And one of his
mother’s brothers played a significant part in developing
railways in Argentina, Brazil and China. Only one son and
one grandson have followed this tradition.
Hyde was his paternal
great-grandmother’s maiden name and Mayo his mother’s.
John was born in Bromley and
later lived in Blackheath.
He was sent away to a prep
school, where he endured cold baths, often after breaking the
ice, or so he told us. Subsequently, he was a boarder at
Clifton College, a school for which he had great affection
although he left earlier than he would have liked. Both
schools nurtured his love of sport, particularly rugby and
cricket, which he retained throughout his life.
On leaving school, he became a
student apprentice with De Havilland at Stag Lane in Edgware,
and possibly with other aircraft manufacturers. Sometime
after completing his apprenticeship, and before 1939, he joined
the Aeronautical Inspection Directorate (AID) with whom he
remained until the end of his career.
The AID had been founded in 1913
by the War Office to inspect aircraft being delivered to the
RFC. In John’s time it fell successively under the Air
Ministry, Ministry of Aircraft Production, Ministry of Supply
and finally the Ministry of Aviation. During the war he
had wanted to join the Navy, but was refused because his was a
reserved occupation essential to the supply of aircraft.
He enjoyed his career, in an era
spanning from the Tiger Moth to Concorde. He moved from
aircraft based on 'string and sealing wax' to early jet
fighters, V-Bombers, through development of the Comet to the
Nimrod as a replacement for the Shackleton, to his final role
assisting in the international development of the Multi-Role
Combat Aircraft, Tornado. He was a Chartered Engineer and was a
member of the Royal Aeronautical Society for 51 years.
But above all he was a family
man. After meeting Mollie in the Air Ministry, they
married in 1942 and lived in Surrey where two sons were
born. Shortly after the end of the war, they moved to St.
Albans where the two girls were born, and where they remained
until 1963. This was a fortunate choice as it allowed John to
work locally at Handley Page or De Havilland during most of
their time there, with a posting to Fairey in Hayes to which he
was able to commute. Latterly he was posted to Blackburn and
Brough, to which he commuted weekly to maintain the family home,
and for the boys at least to finish their secondary
education.
In St Albans, combining his love
of family and sport, John organised cricket in the garden almost
every evening during the summer months, and at weekends we were
taken frequently to run free on the Chilterns. He would
also devotedly turn up to watch the boys play rugby, wherever
the matches were, and give his firm opinions afterwards.
Subsequently, John was posted to
Hawarden and the family moved to Chester, where the girls
completed their education, before finishing his career at head
office in Chessington. Hence John and Mollie returned to
live in Leatherhead, where they had first met, and bought Farm
Cottage.
In his retirement he was
involved in the Church, serving as a Churchwarden and as
Treasurer of the Friends of Leatherhead Parish Church. He
maintaining the garden before suffering a number of strokes that
led to his death. But until the end he maintained a close
interest in the family and all the many grandchildren, observed
with humour and affection.
 Wedding 1942
The Family Man
 Golden Wedding 1992
Elizabeth Riding, daughter: We have an aircraft museum at Old Warden in Bedfordshire to which he used to take our sons. His knowledge was amazing - he didn't need to read the information. He became deaf in his late 20s,
probably due to otosclerosis, but he felt the risk of surgery
too great at that time. Consequently, he learned to lip
read quite well and never let his deafness get in the way of
living life to the full. He was also very observant, in
fact I would go so far as to say, "He didn't miss a trick".
He had a clear strong moral view
of life, and we were brought up to follow his principles.
He courted my mother in
Leatherhead, after the Air Ministry returned from a Phoney War
spell in Harrogate which they both enjoyed. They used to play
tennis on the courts near the Epsom Rd roundabout and go for
romantic walks around Box Hill and Norbury Park.
Mother told me that on some of
the walks she hoped he might propose but no, being my father, it
was after a game of tennis when she was all hot and sweaty that
he took her aside into a little wooded area and asked her to
marry him.
He adored my mother and would do anything for her. He was a much loved and
respected father who was fun to be around. For many years
he would not only ferry us siblings to sporting events but also
to social ones, where he would often be on the door of church
hall hops to ensure good behaviour.
He loved driving which was just
as well as he did all the driving on our lengthy holidays
touring Europe. He did consult maps but always seemed to know
exactly where he was going in this country and abroad. He
had an almost photographic memory for routes and always knew an
alternative way if one was blocked.
He was a mine of information on
many subjects and interested in all aspects of life. He was a
very kind and mild mannered man most of the time who had a
twinkle in his eye. He, like my mother, enjoyed being sociable.
It was not pleasant on the few
occasions when he did get cross. One occasion was when, as a
stroppy teenager, I was extremely rude to Mother. Never
again! Another time I had a curfew, missed the last bus
home and got a severe reprimand. David also provoked his
anger on legendary occasions for other acts of selfishness.
He was always very involved with
the church and served as a churchwarden for many years in both
St. Albans and Leatherhead.
All the grandchildren adored him
because he had a lovely sense of humour and despite his deafness
was able to communicate with them. He had such a lovely
smile and was very observant. He was always very
supportive of us all.
Even after his stroke he would enjoy an outing into Leatherhead to meet people. We were very lucky to have two
such loving, interested parents.
The editor is grateful to the
Canning family for sharing their memories of John with us.
Mollie and John are remembered together on this page as they
would surely have wished.
content on John added 7 Jan 22
|
