Carol Tully's Last Wish

We’d just like to start off by saying, that none of us are very comfortable with this, however it was in Mum’s final wishes, and we have to respect them - she would kill us if we didn’t do it. But, as she liked to say ‘if you don’t ask, you don’t get’ and if you knew our Mum, well, the last word you’d use to describe her would be shy, so here goes…

Our incredible Mum, Carol Ann Tully, who before she became a Cancer fighting warrior, was first and foremost a Mum beyond compare, an amazing Sister, Nan, Aunty, friend. The ultimate caregiver, the world’s best childminder, a Mother to many, not just her four children (Gemma, Sophie, Georgia and Sam), a local celeb, you could never walk down the street without stopping for a ‘quick’ half an hour chat with someone she knew. She was a bright force of nature, kind to her core, a whirlwind, a faffer :) the literal life and soul of any party (until her very last day might we add). She always saw the best in everyone, completely selfless, a laugh, a shoulder to cry on, the queen of agony aunts. We could go on, and on, and on and on. She was f***ing great. The best of the best.

And we can’t believe we have to do this life without her.

Which brings us on to the reason for starting this page.

On 2nd December 2023, Mum received the devastating news that she had Cancer. 20 days later, after a trip to A&E with Gemma things got even worse. Mum was told she was stage 4, which meant terminal, and had 6 months to a year to live. Hilariously, with all that to process, Mum got confused and told family and friends she had 6 weeks. Classic Cazz.

Not only did this awful disease take away Mum’s chance at a long life, it also took away her ability to eat and drink. That day she was fitted with an NJ tube, and was from that point nil by mouth, forever. Mum’s vibrant life would then be without the things so many of us celebrate with. At that point we realised that we’d had our very last roast at The Alma with Mum, our last Saturday night takeaway, our last breakfast at Acoustics, our last bottomless brunch with her and all the girls, her last time having one too many drinks at The Two Brewers. And the one that cuts most deep, is that she never got to have a drink at her very own bar, The Cazz Bar.

Mum would no longer work as a childminder, doing a job she loved, and was made for. She had to accept that she wouldn’t see her Grandson Teddy grow up, or be there for any more of her children’s milestones. And yet she took it all completely in her stride, never complained once, or took a moment for self pity. No, there was no time for that, she took her new normal and ran with it. And despite having a life limiting disease, she continued being the same lovely Carol we all knew and loved. Often comforting and consoling others, about the situation she found herself in.

Mum passed away peacefully on the night of 2nd July 2024.

What a woman, and what a fighter. We are so proud to be her children.

Cruelly, life goes on around on us, despite our world imploding. And Mum, in her final weeks, asked that instead of charity donations in her name, that we set up this page to help manage the initial costs of paying bills, and a 20 year old running a household without her. Allowing us time to grieve, while we attempt to process what has been an unimaginable few months. On registering her death, it was pointed out to us by the registrar that we are ‘too young to be orphans’.

As we said at the start, we’re not comfortable with this, but we know lots of you have asked about flowers/donations, and we are just respecting our Mum’s wishes. We are extremely grateful for any donations at all. We have absolutely no expectation.

Thank you,

Gemma, Georgia and Sam

Sam & Mum at their last Arsenal match together ❤️