Story from Aliya Vigor-Robertson

When you come from a big family like ours and your parents have 51 first cousins it can be hard to figure out the family tree and how it all fits together.  Jolly Aunty was my grandmothers younger sister.  As I grew up I met Jolly Aunty lots of times and she was always someone who carried her name with her wherever she went. She was someone that once you met you could never forget. 

From our trips to LA as a family, her visits to the UK and time spent in Kashmir together her warmth and care always made us feel very special.   I admired her tenacious spirit; a working mum raising two incredible and talented boys, a wonderful wife with such a huge heart.   

I was lucky enough to convince my parents in 1999 to go travelling around the world for 9 months on my own and one of my last stops was LA where I was picked up at the airport by Jolly Aunty.  I remember her jaw hitting the ground as she looked at my bleached blonde streaky hair, my huge backpack on my back plus several others hanging off various limbs and her telling me that she was going to get me fixed up straight away.  “Aliya,” she said, “you look a mess!!”

  Before I could argue she drove me to her hair salon where I was transformed into something much more presentable.  Like I said, she knew exactly how to make people feel special.  That time together was just the best.  Coming from a family of 6 it was lovely just to spend some 1:1 time with her.  I will always remember her telling me about how Californian pineapples were the best in the world.  I’ll remember her taking me to the Getty Museum and many other places on that short trip.  Her hospitality knew no bounds. 

  These last few years had been really hard on her health but she found time to reach out and connect via facetime.   She was a light that shone so brightly.  Her light touched so many of us and I feel so lucky to have been a very small part of her life.  Her lessons will stay with me and I will share them with my family.   She was one incredible lady.