Mitchell Blackburn Obituary, Death – Housewife Mary Mitchell, who passed away at the age of 70 due to complications from a stroke, was known for her remarkable ability to triumph over the challenges that life presented her with. She was the first child of Sylvia (née Binney) and Bob Pickering, who were both architects, and she was raised in Preston, which is located in the county of Lancashire. She was born in Leeds. After attending Penwortham girls’ grammar school, she lived and worked in Swansea for a short time as a laboratory assistant before parting with her first husband and returning to Preston, where she met my friend, Geoffrey Pape. They tied the knot in 1978.
Mary had continued to work in laboratory sciences, but she and Geoffrey were adamant about starting a family, and as a result, raising a family became her primary concern. Catherine, Jennifer, Anthony, and Richard were the subsequent children in the family. In 1994 Geoffrey died of a heart attack; and when four years later I returned to Preston after the breakdown of my own marriage, Mary and the children welcomed me into their family. We tied the knot in the year 2000. Richard, Mary’s youngest son, was involved in a car accident in 2006 that led to a severe injury to his brain as a result of the impact. In the years that followed, he experienced a downturn in his mental health, which ultimately led to a stay in a specialized hospital.
During this time, Mary demonstrated unrestricted love for Richard and was unwavering in her determination to support and safeguard him. Because of her efforts, he is now receiving treatment in a specialized rehabilitation facility, and he has never been happier in his life. In 2010 I suffered a massive abdominal bleed, and again Mary was faced with potential tragedy. But her incredible fortitude carried both of us through to the other side, where I was eventually able to get better. Her unwavering confidence and upbeat attitude were inspiring to witness and completely contagious. All these events are not, in themselves, unusual; individual traumas happen to everybody. But what was so special about Mary was her ability to cope with adversity in a way that made the outcome seem inevitably rosy. None of us knew how she managed this – it was mysterious and magical, and an inspiration to everyone who knew her.