Delia was born at Waltham Holy Cross, Essex, on 30 May 1945 and died on 25 July 2014 at Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital, just five weeks after diagnosis with ovarian cancer and also primary peritoneal cancer.

She lived in Ilford during her childhood before moving around the country, in support of her husband's career, to places such as Chelmsford, Colchester, Maidstone, Lincoln, Norwich and Wales, before returning to Norfolk in 1999.

Delia was special - not just to her husband, Ron, but to her four children, Sally, Peter, Jonathan, Giles and six grandchildren, Nathan, Adele, Emily, Arthur, Lewis and Amelia, and to her sister Wendy, relatives and friends of whom she had many. Married for 48 years and soul-mate of Ron for 51 years, she was the most perfect wife any man could have.

She wanted nothing more in life than to be a wife and full-time mother, and not being ambitious, never returned to work after her first child was born in 1969. Life was full of contentment for her as she naturally excelled at being a brilliant mother and first-class cook - an ordinary person who loved people and the simple things in life; Delia adored her children and grandchildren, but had only 2/3 days knowing her third grand-daughter before she started slipping away.

Delia was a happy, soft and warm-hearted, vibrant person always seeing the glass as half-full. She was undemanding of others and never wanted or provoked confrontation. She naturally enjoyed talking with other people, even complete strangers with whom she came into contact, and was naturally a good listener treating everyone with empathy and thoughtfulness.

Delia did not demand much from life - family and friends mattered more to her than material things. Her interest in people endeared her to friends and strangers alike.

As her family grew up, Delia joined the WRVS and was involved with a daily luncheon club for elderly people when she lived in Wales, and with Meals on Wheels in Norfolk, as well, and helped in both Tenovus Cancer and The Lions Charity shops over many years.

Even in death, Delia demanded so little - accepting the inevitable with fortitude and calmness, and without complaint and recrimination. Two months before, she seemed so healthy and none of us ever imagined that anything like this could ever happen....

Delia is irreplaceable - just an ordinary person, but a remarkable and thoughtful wife, mother, sister, relative and friend of so many. She is sorely missed and she remains forever in our memories.