Biography of Joan Eileen Spurgeon (nee Lee)

Born 2 September 1920 in Hampstead (Cedar Lawn Nursing Home) to parents Jim (James William) Lee & Maud Rose Lee, living at Polperro Mansion, 105 Goldhurst Terrace, Hampstead NW6. Lived for a while at Chadwell Heath, then age 2 moved to 12 Burwell Rise, Letchworth, Herts, where her brother Leslie was born 29 June 1923. Attended Westbury School, Letchworth from 5-14. Attended guides 11-15, also member of Methodist Church 1936.

Worked first at Country Gentlemans Association, Letchworth, 1934/6, as clerk/Burroughs adding machine operator. Moved to 14 Cowdrey Close, Enfield in August/September 1936. Worked in Railway Clearing House, Euston, 1936-41 as clerk/comptometer operator. Attended Sea Rangers & Red Cross, also Sunday School teacher at Enfield Methodist Church. Work evacuated to Clearing House Sports Centre at Whetstone, Herts in November 1939. For 2 months worked voluntarily at Government Information Centre in Enfield while waiting for Clearing House to move.

Worked as Red Cross nurse on Sunday mornings at Chase Farm Hospital, Enfield, Middlesex. Accepted as student nurse in October 1941 at North Middlesex Hospital, Edmonton, N1. Became SRN in November 1944, then 6 months Part I midwifery training and 6 months maternity nursing at Arkley, Herts. Staff Nurse at Chase Farm Hospital, Enfield, Middlesex from October 1945 to June 1947.

Joan joined the Civil Service Cycling Club with her brother Leslie, and met her future husband Roy Spurgeon there. They were engaged on 15 June 1946, married 14 June 1947 & lived at 52 Cecil Road, Enfield (top flat) - now demolished. Part-time staff nurse at Chase Farm Hospital from September 1947 to March 1949.

Paul Roy Spurgeon born 2 July 1949. Family moved to new house, 12 The Shrublands, Potters Bar, Middlesex in January 1953. Graham Leslie Spurgeon born 18 February 1953. Family left for Melbourne, Australia in January 1956 on SS Stratheden - lived at 9 Vunabere Avenue, Bentleigh, Melbourne, Victoria until March 1959. Returned to England via train to Sydney, SS Himalaya to San Francisco, car to Los Angeles, train to New York, SS Mauretania to Southampton, arriving June 1959.

Lived in rented house at 44 Elmstead Avenue, Wembly, Middlesex from July 1959. Moved to new bungalow "Cooinda", Homefield Road, Chorleywood, Herts in August 1960. Worked as part-time District Nurse from October 1961 to Spring 1966. Became voluntary interviewer at new CAB which opened in Rickmansworth in January 1965, until summer 1972. Worked as a part-time nurse in x-ray department of Harefield Hospital, Middlesex for a radiologist in charge of diagnosing arterial disorders from September 1966. Eventually included cardiac diagnostic radiography for top heart transplant surgeon Dr M Yacoub until 1971.

Attended one year course for experienced CAB workers at North London Polytechnic from September 1971 to July 1972. Silver wedding anniversary June 1972. Became part-time organiser of CAB at Oxhey, Herts in September 1973 and worked it up from one room in the community centre to a shop in the central shopping precinct. Left summer 1978.

Part-time course with craft potter Renee Rubenstein at Maidenhead from spring 1977 to spring 1980. Moved to "Cooinda", 2a Woodrow Drive, Wokingham, Berks in November 1978. Became voluntary interviewer in CAB at Bracknell, Berks in May 1979. Commissioned to produce commemorative Royal Wedding pottery plaque by Wokingham Town Council in July 1980.

Trip with husband Roy to Australia, arrived 21 October 1985, left 2 December. Roy died 9 December 1985, age 64, shortly after returning from Australia with appendicitis, which lead to a coronary thrombosis. Moved to 57 All Saints Close, Glebe Park, Wokingham, RG2, Berks, in March 1988. Tibial Osteotomy on left knee 1989, only partially successful. Moved to 49 Chisholm Court, St Austell, PL25 4UG, Cornwall in August 1991. Left knee replacement in 1994, partially successful but pain remained.

After Paul's proposal to Irina in 1994, she enjoyed getting to know Irina's children Viktor & Larisa during a trip to Bucharest & Romania in the summer of 1995, and a trip to Kishinev, Moldova for Christmas 1995.

Moved to 9a Stirling Court, Stirling Road, St Budeaux, Plymouth, Devon in 1999. Another op on left knee in 1999, partially successful. Moved to 22 Shipley Close, South Brent, TQ10 9PS Devon in November 2000. Left hip replaced 2002. Right hip replaced 5 November 2007, but complications slowed recovery for 3 months. Joan died 8 February 2008, age 87, at Paul & Irina's home in Plymouth. Her ashes were scattered together with her husband's at a private family ceremony on 7 September 2008 in the Silver Birch Copse at Easthampstead Park Cemetry & Crematorium.

Biography up to 1980 written by Roy Spurgeon; thereafter by Paul Spurgeon. See also: Joan Spurgeon's certificates