Jennifer Leyland

1946 – 2016

When Jenny came to Shipton in 1981 she had already had a very busy and varied life. Over the 35 years which followed she became a much appreciated member of the Wychwoods’ community and St. Mary’s Church in particular.
From a young age, Jenny was full of energy. Her parents were horrified to see her on the back of her brother’s motorbike at the age of 13 but that summed up her free spirit. Making bows and arrows, developing a passion and expertise for competitive skating were other activities to which she devoted her youthful energies.
She experienced the joys of family life. Fiona, Joanna and Charlotte were born during her first marriage. One of the saddest moments of her life came with the devastating death of her youngest child in 1996.
She never rated her academic prowess so it was something of a surprise when she accepted a responsible position with Savills in London; the firm who later sponsored her to take a Master’s Degree.
Jenny had an enthusiasm for community service. For many years she devoted time to raising funds for the Treloar Trust, an institution which supports disabled youngsters from their base in Hampshire. No ordinary fund raising effort – sky diving, wing walking and sailing in the Cowes regatta were just some of the ways in which she supported the Trust.
Jenny started another career in the summer of 1997 – this time setting up a Consultancy with London clients in the commercial sector.
Perhaps most surprisingly, she trained as a retained fire fighter in Burford at the age of 53. As she told her daughters, such extreme activities helped keep her mind from the sadness of Charlotte’s death.
During this time her own Mother was becoming increasingly dependent on family support so she decided to move her to Burford. This proved to be a very happy few years, and she with four generations cared for Nanny Tucker to the end of her life.
The Wychwoods benefitted greatly from her community spirit. Inspired by her Christian faith, she was a mainstay of Shipton church, serving on the PCC and the diocesan synod. She was a lively member of the Wychwood Players and an inspirational leader of the village youth club.
In late 2015 Jenny became increasingly unwell, but stoically carried on. In February she celebrated her 70th birthday, looking as glamorous as ever. Sadly her health deteriorated rapidly, and she passed away with her daughters Fiona and Joanna by her side on 4th May.
It was not just what Jenny achieved in her lifetime but the way in which she achieved it; always positive, always with a ‘can do’ attitude and always with others in mind before herself.

Fiona Huxford

August – September 2016