A large number of family members, friends and former neighbours gathered yesterday in All Saints Church for the funeral of Mrs Anne Hawkins, who died last month at the age of 88.
Mrs Hawkins had lived in Wokingham for almost 60 years. She was a former state-registered nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital. She was well known by many in the town for her work as a dress-maker and for running a nursery school.
Mrs Hawkins was a keen bird-watcher and had travelled the world through this interest. It was during one of these trips when in Nepal that she set up a charitable project to support a school in a rural community there.
At her funeral service she was carried into the church by six of her 9 grandsons to a recording of the dawn chorus. The music for departure into the churchyard for burial was Lark Ascending, the ethereal violin piece by Vaughan Williams. During the service there was Nepalese music. Tributes were given by a son-in-law and by a friend from bird-watching days, and words sent by her brother living in Australia were read.
The Rector of All Saints gave an address based on a reading from 1 Corinthians Chapter 13.
Mrs Hawkins is survived by three daughters, 10 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. Her only son predeceased her in 1982.
