A LONG-term Island resident with a passion for animals, Mrs Rachel (always known as ‘Shelly) Catherine Hall, has died aged 66 after a short illness.
One of five siblings, she was born to Don and Mollie Clapp at Axminster, Devon, where her father worked for British Railways.
The family moved to the IW in 1956, to look after her grandparents in East Cowes and she went to Grange Road School and, later, Cowes Secondary Modern.
She took part in East Cowes Methodist Church activities, including Girls’ Brigade, weekend camps and the brigade band.
After leaving school, she joined Fibre Resin in the office and then became a telephonist at the Ryde GPO exchange.
Subsequently, Mrs Hall worked as a warranty clerk at Premier Motors , a night carer at St Catherine’s School and eventually at the family newsagency in East Cowes.
She married David Hall, who she met at the 69 Club music evenings at Ryde’s Royal York Hotel, in 1970 at East Cowes Methodist Church.
The couple had three children, Mark, Kirsten and Becky. She subsequently cared for her son, who developed motor neurone disease, for a long period until his death 19 years ago.
In recent years, with her sisters, she cared for her father and late mother until the onset of her own illness.
Mrs Hall had a passion for animals and kept dogs, cats and tortoises. The funeral service was held at Castlehold Baptist Church on Monday, followed by burial at East Cowes Cemetery.
She leaves her husband, two surviving children and six grandchildren.