Edith Oakley Obituary, Death – Edith Oakley was a devoted volunteer who sadly passed away at the age of 103. Today, we would like to take a moment to remember Edith Oakley by paying our respects. Edith’s son John died of leukemia in 1959, and over the course of her lifetime, she was able to raise almost exactly two hundred fifty thousand dollars for Blood Cancer UK. In 1959, John succumbed to the illness that ultimately took his life.
Edith announced that she did not want any other parents or fathers to go through the anguish that she had, and she made the decision to devote the rest of her life to the cause of raising money for research into treatments for blood cancer. She said that she did not want any other parents to go through the anguish that she had. Edith reflected on the time she had spent volunteering and told the story of how she had first attempted to sell handmade aprons in order to raise money when she was honored with a Times Sternberg award at the age of 100.
Edith had reached the age of 100 at the time of the award. The venue for the ceremony was Number 10 Downing Street. Volunteering has always been one of my favorite activities, and it’s how I’ve met the majority of my close friends over the years. However, there have been times when it has been a lot of work, particularly due to the fact that we have knitted and sewn a lot of things. To begin, I was so short on funds that I was unable to take the bus to the market to purchase the fabric that I required for the aprons because I did not have enough money for the fare. I was unable to bring the necessary materials with me, so I had to ask a friend to complete the task on my behalf.
When I made my very first apron, Laurie offered to help me sell it by bringing it to the place of business where she was employed. Then, with that money, we were able to buy the materials to make three aprons because we had enough. This was made possible because we had enough. That was the manner in which we first approached doing things.” Without a doubt, the pioneering courage and selfless efforts that Edith put forth have made it possible for other families to be spared the unimaginably painful experience of losing a loved one in the same manner that she did. We continue to keep Edith’s family in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.