From Yvonne Fox on reaching 104

Baptism provides the roots of our Christian culture, but the roots will not develop unless nurtured.  We are attended first by our mothers and it was my mother’s loving care who introduced me to the faith. Later owing to her ill health, I was educated in convents first in Italy and then in England. The faith for myself in the early days seemed somewhat superficial when at the age of four I attended chapel there was always a kind lay sister who stood in wait and passed me a sweet saying I had been well-behaved.  This was followed by my mother taking me on visits to the London Oratory where a visit meant a small prayer at each and every chapel   starting with prayers for the dead of her war until we came to the high altar where on the right there was a statue of Our Lady wearing a beautiful cloak. This cloak changed according to the liturgical year and for me it was a rest moment on our tour. I was very blessed in the teaching communities. At Oxford we were lovingly housed in the Holy Child Hostel.

To cut a long story my faith has been cosseted from the beginning but there were some very nasty troughs, including my husband being shot down in December 1943 into the Bay of Biscay and later his mother being killed by a stray bomb in 1944.

The purpose of this rigmarole is to assure all of you who were so generous with phone calls, cards, flowers and the support of your friendship throughout the years has been verily appreciated my love to you all, Yvonne Fox XXXXXXXXXX.