Irish salute for Sussex woman's 90th birthday

Her granddaughter Sally O'Donnell, from Co Meath in Ireland, explains: “My cocooning grandmother, Maureen (Mon) Excell, who is originally from Lancing in Sussex, now lives beside her daughter in Co Meath.

“She celebrated her 90th birthday on April 26 and I took this photo of her in front of a banner that her kind but socially distancing neighbours made to surprise her. She still has granddaughters living in Sussex who would love to see this picture in the West Sussex Gazette.

“It would make my grandmother's day also as I know she is still very much a proud Sussex woman. I know she still misses Sussex and her granddaughters would have loved to celebrate with us yesterday but due to the pandemic that was obviously not possible.

“She was born and raised in Oakland’s on Sompting Road in Lancing in 1930. She attended South Lancing school where she met her future husband. She was married just after the Second World War in Sompting church.

“Her daughters Wendy and Sally Excell were also raised in Lancing. She later worked in a telephone exchange in Worthing. She moved from Sussex to Ireland a number of years ago with her late husband Roy where she lives with her daughter Wendy. Her granddaughters, Emma and Vanessa Parker still live in Sussex with their families.”

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