Exceptional, strong, determined, brave, dedicated, loving and always positive.
That was how popular Appleby woman Anna Wharton was described following her recent funeral.
Anna was a much-loved personality in the town, having been born and bred there and having worked for the past 10 years at Mike Addison Opticians.
First and foremost a fantastic wife to David and mother to their two children, 16-year-old Jake and Louie, aged 10, she was described as the glue that held her family together.
Her cheerful and warm nature was one that gained her a plethora of close friends, and her loss, at just 45 years old, has reverberated through Appleby.
Anna is survived by her parents, Will and Patsy Birkbeck, of Colby, and brothers Wayne and Nicky. During her childhood the family lived in Barrowmoor Road and she went to both Appleby Primary and Appleby Grammar schools.
She excelled at sport and this was something she continued in her adult life, keeping fit and, in her early career, teaching aerobics.
After leaving school Anna became a lifeguard at Center Parcs but, not liking the unsociable hours, she took on a range of 9am-5pm jobs. She loved her job at the opticians, meeting people and always putting them at ease while using her excellent organisational skills.
Anna and David met as teenagers — romantically on the bus home from Gullom pub! They made their first home together in Colby Lane and had Jake in 2005.
Two years later they moved to their home in Rivington Park before marrying in Dubai on June 25 2009. Two years later Louie was born.
Creating a loving family home, Anna always supported her boys in their endeavours. She was often seen freezing on the sidelines of sports pitches, encouraging Jake with his rugby and Louie with his football.
She was also a vital support to David when he went self-employed as a livestock buyer and farmer.
Alongside her family, Anna’s friends were very important to her and she enjoyed a great social life with her “girls”, in particular trips to Prague and Tenerife.
In the summer the family gained a new addition in puppy Nala. Sadly, the following day Anna attended hospital and, five weeks later, was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer.
She faced her illness with the strength, courage and bravery she was known and loved for, but sadly died just 11 weeks after diagnosis.
Thoughtful of others to the end, she began arranging her own funeral and made the decision to stay at home, spending her final days surrounded by her family.
Her funeral was held at Eden Valley Crematorium on Wednesday.
In a nod to her love of music, Anna had chosen songs to be played by Coldplay and, raising a smile to the end, guests departed to the Stereophonics track
Have a Nice Day.
Donations in her memory can be made to the AMMF charity — the UK’s only cholangiocarcinoma charity — and also to the North West Air Ambulance, an organisation dear to both Anna and David.
