Carol Speight was born on December 19th 1958 in Stockton on Tees, Cleveland, England to Joe and Kath. They lived in Fairfield, but soon moved to the Hardwick area of Stockton. Carol had two older brothers, George and Allan, and she was then followed by two younger brothers Keith and Andrew and a sister Allison, known fondly as Allie. Sadly Allie passed away on Christmas day 1972 aged just 6. This was an event that deeply affected her and the family. Carol attended Harrogate School where she was known as 'Speighty', a name that stuck with her into adulthood. Cal excelled at sports and was a member of the running team and was by her own admission, a bit of a tomboy who took no nonsense from anybody, especially her brothers. She was a fan of Middlesbrough FC and went to as many matches as possible. She was also a prolific swimmer and represented Stockton at many galas and ultimately became a lifeguard. I swear I have never seen anybody swim butterfly as fast as she could. She then said that overnight she changed and became very girly. Gone were the Crombie and the Doc Martins and in came dresses and high heels. Soon after leaving school, Cal got a job at a warehouse, where they seemed to take great delight in making her mop and sweep the floors perpetually. Cal got the last laugh though as before she 'resigned', she got every mop and brush in the place and put them through the crusher. Point made. There were 2 things Carol hated, bullies and injustice, she was always there to help the underdog and it was always in her nature to stand up and be counted rather than sit back and let things happen and to help anybody who needed it. So it is probably no surprise that she went into nursing and started work at North Tees hospital in Hardwick in about 1979. There she made many lifetime friends and was a very popular member of staff. Carol married for the first time and in 1983 she gave birth to her daughter Zoe Michelle, known to her as 'Shelley'. Carol's family were then hit by further tragedy when her mam Kath, known affectionately to the family as Queeny was diagnosed with cancer. Carol took time off work and nursed her mother for the last 8 weeks of her life. This loss devastated Carol and the rest of the family. Her marriage broke up soon after and when Zoe was about 8,she and Carol moved to Norton village in Stockton. She continued nursing until 1993, when ever ready for a challenge, she applied for and got the position of trainee anatomical pathology technician. Cal struggled on, raising her daughter, keeping home and studying for exams, but it eventually paid off as in 1995 she passed her finals and became one of the first female mortuary technicians in the UK. This was quickly followed by promotion to senior grade and then eventually became head of the department. Carol’s family were again struck by tragedy when Cal’s dad Joe died suddenly. Cal and her brothers had been very close to their parents and this came as a real blow to all. I think it was this that made Cal apply to work for the United Nation international criminal tribunal, in Bosnia. I think she needed time away from everyone to get things straight in her own way. This is where I met my future wife and soul mate for the first time. I think it is safe to say, that Cal and I hit it off from the start. She was just one of those people that made you feel at ease and after about 5 minutes, you felt as if you had known her for years. Although my name is Iain, she always called me Rennie (Renfrew). If she ever called me Iain, I was in big trouble. After returning from Bosnia, Cal would visit me in Glasgow and I would visit her in Stockton. After a while it was obvious that things were serious, so I moved to Stockton, so we could be together. Unfortunately work commitments for us both meant that we did not have much time together, so I applied for a job in Bantry, county Cork and we moved to Ireland. Carol then started work as a phlebotomist. However, Cal really wanted to get back to the job she loved, in the mortuary. So we moved to Limerick regional hospital where Carol again started in the morgue. During the course of her work she met many famous people including the Irish prime minister at the time, Bertie Ahearn and the Irish president Mary McAleese. It may seem a strange job for a woman to do, but it was something that Cal excelled at. Her caring and compassionate nature just shone through. I still have many letters of thanks from bereaved families expressing their thanks at how Cal made a terrible time in their lives that little bit easier to bear by showing that she sympathised with them and assuring them that their relatives were in the best hands possible and would be treated with the utmost respect and dignity. On the 13th of March 2003,Cal and I finally got married. It was a fantastic day with friends and family and made me feel like the happiest man alive. Soon after, Zoe graduated from Leeds University with a degree in Geography and her teaching qualification. We went over for the ceremony and I swear Cal was walking 6 inches above the ground. She was so proud. She and Zoe had been through some tough times, but it all came to fruition that day. They were actually more like sisters than mother and daughter,Cal did the best she could for Zoe and Zoe did not disappoint her, as she has turned into an amazing, highly motivated young woman, so very like her mam. Cal and I continued on for a bit, but often talked of moving to the sun. One day Cal said ‘why wait till we retire, why not do it now’. So we sold up and moved to Spain, where for 7 years we had an idyllic life together. Of course we had to keep working, so we did locum work where Cal would go back to the UK, work for three months and then come back and we could spend the next three months together. Then I would do the same. That is something that people find amazing, is that we could spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week together and very rarely have a cross word. Well first of all, we were absolutely devoted to each other. I would do anything for Cal and she would do the same for me. And Cal had a great Philosophy, Never go to bed on an argument! Things carried on like this until in June 2013, when Cal was diagnosed with very advanced stage 4 cancer. She passed away peacefully 16 days later, with me beside her aged just 54. I lost my wife, soul mate and my very best friend all in one fell swoop. She leaves behind a lot of broken hearts and a great deal of sadness. I don’t know why this happened to such a kind, warm hearted person such as Cal. The only thing I do know is that one day we will be together again, Simply because that is the way it has to be. Until that day, Sleep well and know that I will always love you. Your Husband and best friend Rennie