Anne Vickery RIP

Anne Vickery, aged 98, passed peacefully in her sleep on June 23rd, 2024. Anne was a beloved sister, aunt, friend, and community member and will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

Anne was born on June 24, 1925 in Surrey to Nora Neef and Fredrick Vickery. Her brother Walter Vickery was born four years earlier in 1921. Anne and her brother spent much time on the farm of her grandmother, Anne Haley Brown. There they became well-versed in farming and found a cherished place to visit and stay during their childhood.

Anne attended boarding school at Benfleet Hall. There she was instructed to question conventional opinions. Anne was most grateful for the school's example and encouragement.

In 1942, Anne enrolled and trained for three years at the Royal College of Music, where she earned her teaching qualifications to teach piano and general music education in schools.

Anne eventually left teaching music and enrolled as a student nurse at St Thomas' Hospital; however, due to her parents' ill health, she did not complete the certification. She later became involved in social work, attending Barnett House, Oxford, and the London School of Economics. She taught and researched at the National Institute for Social Work. In 1977, Anne was co-editor of the book Integrating Social Work Methods.

Anne traveled frequently to the United States to visit her brother Walter and his family. Anne's first trip to the US was in the summer of 1956. It was a remarkable month-long cross-country trip that took Anne from the East Coast to the West Coast and along the beautiful coastal highway from San Francisco up the Oregon coast, a memory she always cherished.

This was the first trip of many that Anne took to the US. Anne's family convinced her to travel to many places, including Leningrad in the Soviet Union to visit Walter's family during his sabbatical there. She recounted many times and with laughter about the difficulty in bringing fresh eggs and oranges from London to Leningrad on her Christmas trip in 1967.

Even after her brother Walter passed, Anne continued to visit her "American family" in the U.S. Always up for an adventure, Anne climbed Mt Huron, a 14,000-foot peak in Colorado; walked many a beach along the Maine coast; spent holidays in northern Arkansas at Ian's lake home and, at age 88, visited her niece in Washington D.C. She witnessed her nephews and nieces (and her great nephews and nieces) grow from infants to adulthood. It is remarkable that she kept in such close contact with her overseas family, and is a testament to her love and devotion to them and how much she valued those relationships.

Anne remarked often that she was "blessed by very good friends", in particular Valerie Haig-Brown, with whom Anne spent many years as a friend and companion until Valerie's death in 1992, and Shirley Malin with whom she worked as a Psychiatric Social Worker. Anne said, "Both these friends have furnished me with great memories of companionship, travels, holidays, enterprises, shared joys and sorrows, and the stuff of daily life".

Anne will be remembered for her kindness, her willingness to challenge the status quo, her interest in the arts and traveling, her love for her Ramblers' walks and trips, her devotion to her family and friends, her grit and determination, her encouragement of others in times of difficulties, and her open embrace of life.

Anne is predeceased by her brother Walter, her parents Nora and Fredrick, her nephew Peter Vickery and great nephew Jason Vickery. Anne is survived by her nieces and nephews, Ian Vickery, Tina Tindall, Helen Vickery, Carl Vickery, Eileen Vickery and their families, as well as her cousins, Amanda Douglas, Angela Douglas, Joseph Douglas, Julian Douglas and their families.

A Celebration of Life will be held at St Dominic's Priory in London on Monday , 22 July at 10am.

In lieu of flowers, please send a contribution to the The Catholic Children's Society, 73 St Charles Square, London, W10 6EJ. Tel: 020 8969 5305, Email: info@cathchild.org.uk.