This site is a tribute to Sue. She is much loved and will always be remembered.

Tribute to Sue Lancaster
 
Susan Kathleen Lancaster was born on the 30th April 1948 in Birmingham to Mom Jeanette and Dad Sam Rainey. She was the first of four daughters, with Jackie, Vickie and Chrissie following. Sue attended school in Birmingham, and loved ballet she started training as a ballerina, unfortunately, she grew too tall and had to stop.

After leaving Conway Road Girls school, Sue attended Secretarial school and qualified as a shorthand typist. Sue met Raymond Bridgman, and they married at St Paul’s Church, Birmingham. Sue gave birth to Samantha Jane 13.6.72 their only child, but unfortunately, the marriage ended in divorce.

Sue worked as a secretary for Lido Blinds in Birmingham and also part-time at an arts & crafts shop in Selly Oak, Birmingham, which was next door to the flat that she had moved into with Samantha. It was in the shop where she met her future husband, David Lancaster a Police Officer who occasionally popped in for coffee and was better known as Tank.

Sue was in the process of getting a divorce, as was Tank and she took pity on him, sharing the occasional meal. There was a mutual attraction, they fell in love and when Sue was offered an apartment in Taysfield Rd, Ley Hill, she took Tank with her. They married 18th November 1978 and moved into a house in Nafford Grove, Maypole, followed by a house on Alcester Road South and then they bought their first house in Maypole Lane from where Sammie left and started her own life.

Eventually, they left Birmingham and went to Catshill, Bromsgrove where they lived for 10 years and became grandparents when Samantha gave birth to James and then Harry. In 2001 Sue took retirement, as had Tank and they left England for Spain, travelling in their Motorhome. They bought a small piece of land in rural Las Labores, Almeria, Spain, a very quiet area with few neighbours, and had a villa built. They lived in the sun relying on each other, enjoying each others company, very much in love. Sue worked one day a week for an animal charity, and gave their dog Bonnie a home.

She kept in touch with her daughter, grandchildren and great-grandson, sisters, nieces and nephews. The motorhome had to return to England for MOT every year and in 2018, after family visits they were helping with the care of Sue’s father in law when she suffered a stroke and spent time in Torquay hospital, she was also found to have a brain tumour. Sue was released from Hospital and lived with Tank in the motorhome on Widdecombe Farm campsite in Paignton.

Eventually, Sue had to move into a retirement home followed by a move into Woodland Park Nursing Home as her health deteriorated. The care that she received was wonderful and she always appeared to be happy. Tank visited Sue on Boxing day afternoon and they held hands as they always did, for two hours, sharing the time together. Sue’s health worsened during that night, a paramedic attended and administered oxygen. At 6 am the staff called Tank in and they were together for an hour or so until Sue passed away at 8am, still holding hands with Tank.