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Moseley Chimes
September 2008
For about six months at both Churches we have been praying for a member our congregation called Claire, for her husband, Peter, and for her two sons, Alexander (18/12/04) and Toby (30/11/07). It is with very great sadness that it was announced recently that Claire had lost her valiant battle against cancer. I have been asked to write a few words so that people who did not know Claire well will realise how they missed out from befriending an extraordinary woman.
Claire grew up in Widnes, then moved to Frodsham in Cheshire where she completed her junior and secondary education, managing still to become adept at playing the flute and also the piano. An excellent scholar, Claire became the first member of her family to attend University, reading Law at Downing College in Cambridge. Claire graduated with a First Class Honours degree and rejected academia to instead study to become a barrister. She joined Chambers in Birmingham (Barristers work from Chambers, where they share business accommodation and resources) as a Pupil (trainee Barrister) under the tutelage of David Lock, who later became a Labour MP and Junior Minister. Claire built up an excellent practice, excelling at Commercial Law, worked regularly for the Attorney General’s Office and was well known for arguing in disputes between neighbours. She was twice (at least) nominated as Barrister of the Year by Birmingham Law Society and, if I remember right, she won that accolade at least once. She became an extremely efficient Secretary of the Midlands Commercial Bar Association, and delivered numerous lectures to Solicitors and Barristers alike. She also achieved the status of Secretary to the Midland Circuit (the Country is divided into six regions, called Circuits, being the local areas where Barristers habitually work), meaning that she had to organise numerous events and liaise with many Queen’s Counsel and Judges of the Circuit and High Court Bench.
It is perhaps in her family life that Claire is best known to the congregation. When newly qualified Claire bought a flat in Trafalgar Road, and began to occasionally attend St Mary’s. In August 2003 Claire married Peter Causton at St Mary’s Church and they bought a house in North Moseley. Both became regular members of the congregation at St Mary’s — Peter was recently appointed to Administer the Chalice in this benefice — and there was great delight when Alexander was born just before Christmas in 2004. Alexander was duly baptised at St Mary’s on Mothering Sunday 2005, and Peter caused great amusement by inviting both Her Majesty The Queen and The Rt Hon Tony Blair to the ceremony (both graciously declined!). When Derek Purnell and his family moved to East Anglia they sold their home in Grove Avenue to Claire and Peter, no doubt pleased that a family home had passed to a family from the Church.
During 2007 Claire fell pregnant again with Tobias. Unfortunately Claire was unwell for much of the pregnancy, and remained unwell after the birth, but it was not until a week before Toby’s planned baptism (this time on Mothering Sunday 2008) that cancer was diagnosed, affecting a number of major organs. From then onwards Claire battled bravely against the illness and volunteered to undergo experimental treatment at Christie’s Hospital in Manchester, so the family temporarily moved to her family home in Cheshire to be nearer to the hospital. Unfortunately, although the treatment seemed to have an encouraging affect on some tumours, Claire became progressively worse. She moved to the Hospice of the Good Shepherd in Backford in Mid-July and sadly succumbed to the cancer in the early morning of Saturday 26 July 2008.
I kept in regular contact with Claire right to the very end. Every week she delighted in news from Moseley, especially about the children she knew and adored, and she always retained a great sense of humour. It is also incredibly encouraging that so many people from Moseley supported Claire and her family through the last, difficult months, via regular visits, the provision of meals and by simply being available to assist in what needed to be done. Claire’s funeral was held in Frodsham, with the interment at Frodsham Cemetery. Claire now lies in peace in a rural setting overlooking the Mersey estuary with both Liverpool Anglican and Metropolitan Cathedrals in view.
Please do not leave Claire and her family from your prayers. Peter and the boys now have some very stark choices to make and they continue to need our support, encouragement and assistance. Claire was a wonderful person and a true friend. She will be very much missed!