Family pay tribute to Morecambe's dancing mum

A son has paid tribute to his beloved mum who loved nothing more than to dance.
Olive Billington.Olive Billington.
Olive Billington.

Olive Billington passed away aged 98 on July 31 after suffering a stroke.

The mum-of-five was a keen dancer and was even seen doing a jig up until her last days at Park View Residential home in Morecambe.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Her son Jack has described her as a “fabulous mum” who could make everybody smile.

“She would light up the room and make everybody smile,” he said.

“Dancing was her life, she never stopped dancing, even until the end, she could move her feet as soon as you started playing music.”

Olive had five siblings and grew up in Preston before moving to Lancaster and Morecambe in her married years.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She left St Peter’s High School in Preston at 14 and began working in the canteen at Samlesbury Aerodrome during the war with her sister Nora (who is now 100).

Olive also worked at Horrocks Yard Works in Preston. She was married to her husband Jack (who passed away in 1987) for 47 years, “They met when he was on a building site, he was a plumber, she walked past and that was that,” said Jack.

“Mum and dad were very happy people, they were always in clubs dancing.”

Her main thing in life was bringing up her children and looking after her daughter Lynda who is handicapped, explains Jack.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Lynda went into the Royal Albert Hospital in Lancaster, mum supported her at home for as long as she could but then moved up here.”

Olive’s hobby never left and she would often go dancing in Morecambe at the Gordon Club, the Winter Gardens and also the Great Hall in Preston.

Olive worked at various charity shops and also received an award for her work at Baranardos in Morecambe. She leaves behind children, Alan, Ron, Jack, Lynda and Steve, grandchildren, great grandchildren, great great grandchildren. She was a sibling to Ron, Nora, Harry and Edith. The funeral will take place at Preston Crem on Tuesday August 15 at 11.30am.

Related topics: