Mrs Winifred Mary Holt

Winifred Holt was born in Newcastle in September 1923.  During the Second World War, she was first evacuated to Carlisle and then joined the ATS, whereupon she was posted to Harrogate.  She met Victor Holt, who had just returned from India, and they got married in 1948.  Their first son, Nicholas, arrived in 1953 and they moved into their first house together in Roding Road, Loughton in 1955.  Winifred and Victor had two more boys, Michael and Christopher and in May 1964, expecting their daughter Elizabeth, they moved to Tycehurst Hill in Loughton.  By 1967 Winifred realised the lack of provision of playgroups in Loughton, so she set one up in St Michaels in Roding Road, the church that they attended.  They bought the equipment, enlisted helpers and opened St Michaels Playgroup for 3-5 year olds, three mornings a week.  Win ran this tirelessly for over 15 years with hundreds of children having joined them during this time and the playgroup is now a pre-school and is still going strong. Win continued to be active in St Michaels as a Sunday School Teacher, Treasurer and then Chair of the Mother’s Union, flower arranger and helping Victor with Christian Aid organisation. Upon retirement in 1983, she joined the Ladies Probus Group (an accompaniment to their husbands’ Probus Group) and manned the phones for Loughton Voluntary Care.  In her ‘90s, due to ill-health, Win and Vic moved into Woodland Grove Care Home in Loughton where she became their reigning Scrabble Queen and carried on flower arranging and having an active social life.

She is much missed by all her family – four children, six grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and the staff of Woodland Grove.