Portsmouth great grandmother, 77, dies after contracting coronavirus

Ann Shirley, 77 from Portsmouth, died on April 2 at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham after contracting Covid-19.

She was admitted to hospital on March 23 with a chest infection, and tested positive for the virus the following day.

A great grandmother of seven, Ann was born in Fratton and went to what is now The Portsmouth Academy as a child, before going on to work at the Smith's Crisps factory in Portchester.

Daughter Tina Shirley, 52, paid tribute to an adventurous, hard-working woman.

She said: ‘She was a single parent so did all sorts of jobs to look after my sister and I, from leafletting to working at WHSmith.

‘Mum always worked very hard, and seemed to enjoy working as well.’

After she developed symptoms of a chest infection, a doctor came to visit Miss Shirley at her home in North End.

As with many cases of coronavirus, her condition rapidly deteriorated.

Tina said: ‘We would speak over the phone most days – but in hospital she could barely speak and was gasping for air.

‘She sounded awful.

‘The last phone call we had was done through a nurse because she couldn’t get her words out.’

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On March 31, Tina and her sister Jane were called into QA Hospital to say their goodbyes to their mother, who chose not to have resuscitation or go into intensive care.

Tina said her mother was in ‘incredible pain' before she died.

‘I know she’s not in pain anymore,’ she said.

‘According to the hospital staff, she was in a lot of pain, so I’m glad she is free from that.

‘The doctors were really good – I can't thank them enough for everything they did.’

Ann was a woman who loved the great outdoors, her family says.

A passionate walker, she even took part in the Race For Life a few years ago.

Tina said she ‘lived life to the full’ and hated being stuck indoors.

‘She would walk pretty much everywhere,’ she said.

‘Mum loved the sunshine and would often walk to the Wetherspoons in North End, or to the Ladbrokes shop for a flutter.

‘She could never sit still – especially when the weather was good.’

Ann's seventh grandchild was born just a couple of weeks before she died.

Sadly, the two never got to meet, though Ann was shown a photograph of the newborn.

Tina said: ‘It's such a shame they never met, and that she won't be around to watch the grandkids all grow up.

‘She loved her family and would do absolutely anything for us.’

Ann leaves behind two daughters, five grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

Her funeral will take place in due course, though it will be a smaller affair due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But Tina said the family will hold a proper celebration of Ann’s life, once everyone is allowed to see each other again.

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