As previously posted Jill Whitwell sadly passed away recently.
For all those wishing to attend the funeral it will take place on 12 noon on Tuesday 23rd September at Guildford Crematorium (GU7 3DB) followed by a gathering at the Ragged Robin (GU7 3BX) which all are welcome to. Please contact Kevin on 07789 566014 for catering purposes.
Flowers are only requested from the immediate family, but should anyone feel they wish to make a donation these should be made to Young Lives vs Cancer, the Air Ambulance Service or the Royal British Legion would be welcome.
Below is a little tribute to Jill written by her son Kevin.
Jill’s love and dedication to the Flatcoated Retriever breed started in 1987/8 with her first Flattie, Dixie. Her involvement resulted in her being invited to become the representative for Surrey in August 1993. She was delighted by the invitation and was thrilled to be able to give back to the breed some of the pleasure she had gained from her own dogs and the help she had been given by ’Flatcoat people’.
The area soon expanded and became ‘Surrey and South London’ then ‘Surrey and London’ before also including Middlesex.
Jill firstly invited members to her home in Milford for a coffee and a chat so she could get to know as many members as possible. Thirty-five people crammed into her lounge where they discussed what members would like from their local branch.
Puppy training classes, trimming demonstrations, regular social and field events, summer picnics, film shows, annual barbeques at West Wittering beach and stands at Discover Dogs were some of the events that followed over the next decades with other venues kindly offered and hosted by the members. Each year would end with a well attended Christmas pub lunch.
Jill achieved her dream of registering her own Kennel Name, Tucklewell, which was a combination of family names.
In 1990 Tucklewell Tommy Treacle (Jambo) was born, one of fourteen puppies, His sister, Topsy, was trained to work and Jambo was successful in the show ring and won many best in breed in open shows and was constantly placed at championship levels and at Crufts. He went on to father ten puppies including Taz who remained in Jill’s household.
Jill was thrilled to receive Honorable Life Membership of the Flatcoated Retriever Society in 2008 in recognition of all she had done for the society for which she worked tirelessly alongside other members who became great friends.
Jill also started judging in around 1995 and was added to the ‘B’ list of Judges five years later.
Outside of the Society and ring, Jill and Bob loved to travel and her trips included Kenya, Montenegro, Majorca, Menorca, Egypt, Croatia and Corsica which was one of their favourite destinations.
Jill had a full and eventful life and always found a positive in everything she did. Never afraid of hard work, as a young woman she scrubbed pigs in preparation for agricultural shows in exchange for grazing for her horse, Dawn, on whom she rode from Farnham to Pitton, near Salisbury for a holiday.
Jill qualified in Catering in 1952 and Restaurant Management in 1953 and continued her love of learning and teaching throughout her life, giving chair caning classes twice weekly in the 1980s, something she had also done with the blind much earlier. This developed into a late career from 1987 when she started the Chaircraft Studio at Smithbrook Kilns in Cranleigh where she would perform caning and wicker restoration of a standard highly acclaimed by the antiques trade and which would facilitate her membership to the Guild of Master Craftsman for Quality and Service.
Jill also loved her garden which she was determined to help maintain even when her lack of mobility was extreme.
Forever positive Jill was surrounded by her friends, family, dogs and everything she loved until her passing.
RIP Jill Whitwell. 16.09.1934 to 24.08.2025