Sr Veronica died on the 25th of March at St Michael’s Care Home, Westgate on Sea, at the age of 101, with 81 years of religious profession.

Her funeral Mass will take place at 10 a.m. at Holy Family Church, Birchington, followed by burial at Margate Cemetery.

Veronica was born on the 23^{rd of} May 1924 in Woolwich, Southeast London, the second of six daughters. She often recalled with a smile that her older sister was her mother’s right-hand man or woman! And she was her father’s and loved nothing better than helping him in the garden and any other odd jobs that had to be done. No doubt the family gathered here today could tell of many other family tales.

Veronica was educated by the Daughters of Jesus at St Joseph’s Convent, Abbey Wood. The idea of becoming a Sister crossed her mind as she grew up, but it was firmly resisted as she had her own ambitions. She loved dressing up, had a particular flair for hats, and envisaged a career on the stage. Her parents, however, nipped that idea in the bud, and she returned to St Joseph’s Convent, where she joined the novitiate since travel to the Mother House in Brittany was not possible during the war.

She made her first vows on the 4^th of August 1944 and was sent to Mount Pleasant Teacher Training College, where she qualified with high grades in English, music, history and scripture. She tells the story that, unknowingly, she had the habit of walking with one hand held out, and to her surprise and embarrassment, the good people of the North would place coins in her hand. She recalled this story as an insight into the differences in culture and habits between the North and South of England. It was useful knowledge when she joined the Colne community in 1946 as a teacher.

In 1951, Veronica was sent to Princes Risborough to teach in the school, continue LRAM studies of music and singing, and to take responsibility for the initial formation of young women considering their calling to religious life. She took this latter task seriously and created a programme which served to create a mature and positive atmosphere. She probably knew but refrained from mentioning it that the girls used to leave their studies when she would be practising her singing and sit on the stairs outside the music room, listening to her.

In 1963, Veronica’s gifts as a teacher and leader were recognised, and she was asked to join the Welling community and be Headmistress of St Stephen’s Parish School, where she remained until 1976 with a one-year sabbatical break at Corpus Christi College. This course made a deep impression on her and enflamed her desire to share the insights of the course. An opportunity to fulfil this desire more fully came when she was invited to be part of the Catholic Information Service, within which she devoted herself to Vocations Promotion work. Her great boast and joy was to be part of the welcoming team for the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1982.

In 1985, Veronica was asked to take responsibility for a new community foundation in High Wycombe and take on pastoral work there, while continuing with the Catholic Information Centre. A similar post was asked of her in 1991 in Rickmansworth. In community, Veronica was generous with her time and creative in liturgical services at a time when the Church was implementing the renewal of the Second Vatican Council. This period led to much discussion in parishes and communities, and Veronica would often take the role of “devil’s advocate” to stimulate and deepen exchanges. It didn’t always make her the most popular member of a group, but it had the intended effect!

By 2011, Veronica was beyond retirement age but still enthusiastic about pastoral work. When asked, she was eager to accept a new foundation in Colne at the request of the parish, which had remembered and regretted the closure of the community some forty years earlier. She and her two companions revived the dynamism within the parish and prepared groups to take on the work when they had to leave in 2016.

After these many years of whole-hearted commitment, Veronica accepted a place in the community in Westgate-on-Sea where she loved to contemplate the sea and the horizon from the chapel window. In 2018 she moved into the nearby Ursuline community care home. A further move was asked of her when the Sisters’ home was closed and Veronica joined other sisters in St Michael’s Care where she was lovingly cared for.

Veronica lived these years peacefully in thanksgiving for her life, which was celebrated in style on her 100^th birthday two years ago. She was grateful for a fulfilled and totally given life, lived in the simple yet profound attitude of daily acceptance – “It’s life”, she would often say. We thank her for sharing that long and gifted life.