A glass of red raised and Nessun Dorma played as loved ones say farewell to beloved grandmother who died in Shrewsbury house fire
A glass of red wine was raised and Nessun Dorma was played as a beloved grandmother who died in a tragic house fire received a poignant send off in beautiful surroundings.
Rose Roberts, aged 81, died at her home, the historic Perches House in Shrewsbury town centre, on January 27 this year.
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A memorial ceremony was held today (February 23) at the nearby St Mary’s Church, the picturesque church where Rose used to be a bellringer.
The church was packed with more than 200 people filling the pews and the benches around the outer perimeter, as proceedings started with a stunning rendition of Swan Lake, played on the oboe by Katy Rink, accompanied on piano by John Moore.
Celebrant Sian Allen told the congregation that Rose lived life “brimming with love and energy”.
“Welcome everyone to a celebration of the life of Rose Roberts, a life lived with passion and determination,” said Ms Allen.
“She was endlessly positive. She carried herself with dignity and courage, even in the most difficult circumstances.
“She didn’t suffer fools. Her sharp sense of irony and wonderful, wicked sense of humour made her unforgettable to all who knew her.
“She had a particular affection for the Dalai Lama, calling him His Gigglefulness.
“She went through her life following her passions, including collecting people along the way, making an impact wherever she lived.”
Those in attendance were told that Rose was born in Birmingham, and that from a young age she was “a remarkably creative spirit”.
“At school she was the best in her class at knitting,” Ms Allen said. “She would even do her sister’s homework.”
Rose grew up on a smallholding in Aston Hill, south Shropshire, before later moving to Shrewsbury.
She loved to travel and lived all over the world.
Rose bought Perches House and it needed a huge amount of restoration, which she carried out with precision and determination over many years to return it to its former glory.
Rose lived at the picturesque, timber-framed house for about 45 years, and went to great lengths to restore it to its best.
The house is steeped in history, with records suggesting it dates back to the 1300s, although Rose never had the house carbon dated.
At one time it was a wool merchants and John Perch, a wealthy draper, lived there in the 1500s.
Prominent Shrewsbury judge Sir Timothy Turner also lived there in the 1600s.
More recently, it was used as Ebenezer Scrooge’s office in the 1984 film A Christmas Carol.
A fundraiser was launched to try and raise money to rebuild the home she loved so much.
To view the fundraiser and donate visit https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-save-the-house-that-rose-re-built
“Her creativity expressed itself in many ways,” said Ms Allen. “She painted the most extraordinary murals in the house.
“She amassed a huge collection of porcelain dolls. She referred to them as ‘the girls’.
“She would travel to France and return with beautiful dolls.
“She travelled to more than 40 countries in total, including Turkey, India, Nepal and Tibet.
“She scrimped and saved on daily life to squirrel away funds for travel.”
Ms Allen added: “In the last, recent years her physical health declined, but her spirit still shone brightly.
“We cannot forget that what has brought us together today is a deep loss.
“Thank you for all the love, light and memories you have left behind. Thank you for being unapologetically yourself, a rare achievement.
“We are so grateful you were part of our lives.”
There was a moment of silence for those gathered to reflect on their memories of Rose, before the famous tenor Luciano Pavarotti’s rendition of Nessum Dorma was played.
“She was a huge fan of classical music,” Ms Allen said, adding that Rose used to jokingly refer to Pavarotti as “her boyfriend”.
Ms Allen concluded proceedings by raising a glass of red wine and toasting Rose, to a rapturous round of applause.
