Vera was born the only child to Austin and Kate Washington in Chepstow in 1924. She went to Larkfield grammar school in Chepstow and went on to become a teacher in a primary school. In the second world war she worked in a munitions factory in Caerwent and afterwards was married in 1943 for a short while. She later met and married John, a carpenter and farm worker in 1956. She worked as a florist before buying and running the local village shop in Rogiet, near Chepstow where she came to know everyone in the parish. They moved in with her father after her mother’s death in 1958 and had two sons Courtney and Richard. They spent family holidays each year at a fishermans cottage in Mudeford near Poole and Porthcawl in Wales. 
They were very devoted and worked all hours to give their boys a good education and start in life. They ran the shop until John’s ill health forced early retirement in 1979 when Vera cared for John for 10 years until his early death aged 58. 
Vera had a good sense of humour and was always there for help and advice. She once frightened the life out of Courtney while driving at night when totally seriously she asked him if we were still on the road. She had two further relationships in the next 30 years through her weekly love of dancing.
She met George and went on her first holiday abroad at the tender age of 71 and regularly spent 4 to 6 weeks in Benidorm around xmas and January. George suffered from Leukaemia and on one holiday he became ill leaving them stranded in Spain for a few weeks more while Vera was extending her stay with George in hospital and dealing with insurers and keeping concerned family informed until their return. George finally succumbed to his illness and passed away soon afterwards.
Vera joined a local icing guild, where she put her artistic talent to good use, painting animals onto plaques and making intricate flowers from icing and at one point being pictured in the newspaper with her work.
She met Basil at dancing and were initially friends in 1999 until becoming closer in 2002 a few years after his wife’s death. They spent many happy times touring in his camper van especially to their favourite place in Monmouth and many more holidays abroad. 

Vera suffered a serious fall aged 88, which left her black and blue in hospital. She was released a week later awaiting test results but decided she was off to Spain for a month. On her return she was told it was a heart attack but she was dancing and back to normal. She gave up driving aged 89 and started to lose her mobility at 91 resulting in moving to a care home in Gloucester since Sept 2015.
Basil continued to visit and telephoned daily, spending xmas and as much time as he could with her while fighting cancer until he passed away in 2017. Vera enjoyed her last years at Millbrook Lodge with regular weekly activities, cooking, bingo and crafts and days out around Gloucester. She had her weekly hair salon appointment and tea room with the family on Wednesdays.
Last xmas and again at new year she had everyone worried about her health. The care home notified the family they were concerned about her, not eating, being out of sorts and struggling to wake her. They had prepared end of life care and then had to call back that evening to say she was awake, polished off a plate of food and was laughing and dancing in bed with the staff.
Vera would have reached 96 years old on Mayday if not for catching coronavirus and passed away on 23rdApril. She lived a full and varied life with many sad and happy times with many hurdles over the years. She leaves with many memories and a legacy of 2 sons and their wives, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. Her last wishes were to be reunited with John to rest in peace in the village where she spent most of her life. 

Forever in our hearts xXx