Mrs Jean Elizabeth Burchell (née Lawrence)
A packed congregation, many of whom had to stand, attended the funeral of Jean Burchell, 83, in St Mary's Church, Bradenstoke, on 4th May 2010.

Mrs Burchell, 83, and her late husband Norman established Lillybrook park homes in the village. She was vice-president of Wootton Bassett branch of the Arthritis Research Campaign and raised funds for charity, including St Mary's Church.

She was born Jean E Lawrence and moved to north Wiltshire at the age of ten. She met her future husband, Norman Burchell, then completing an apprenticeship, when they were both working at Ralph Barnes' garage and coach company in Dauntsey. Norman Herbert G Burchell was born 10 April 1924 his parents were Herbert Aaron J Burchell (9th March 1898 - 1975) and Mrs Ivy Muriel Burchell (née Hitchcock (13th September 1900 - 1987)) married at All Saints Church Lydiard Millicent in 1922.

Norman Burchell was conscripted into the Army in late 1944 and served in India and Burma before returning to work on the family farm. By this time his wife-to-be had become an unqualified teacher of infants at Sutton Benger following an Government appeal for teachers.

The couple, who were married in All Saints Church, Christian Malford, Wiltshire in 1948, had three sons Peter (b 1953), Philip J (b 1955) and Lawrence (b 1959) and shared a home in Lyneham with Mrs Burchell's widowed father who helped create a highly productive garden of vegetables and roses.

Their caravan business developed after the couple bought a static caravan for family holidays at Rockley Sands in Poole.

In the early 1960s the couple set up a residential mobile home site on their land at Bradenstoke and completed their first phase of 31 homes between 1965 and 1970.

Construction of the M4 in 1971 spurred them on to give up farming and they increased the estate to 75 homes. In 1981 their son Lawrence joined the family business and has subsequently taken it over. In 1991 the park won the first Super Park Owners national competition in Park Home magazine.

The Rev Jesse Holland paid warm tribute to Jean, a regular member of his congregation as a sociable person with a great sense of humour. Mrs Burchell, who was widowed in 2003, took great comfort in her loving family, which now includes four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

She was a member of the Mothers Union, enjoyed the Goldies Club, weekly coffee morning at Lyneham and outings with friends and family. She also loved animals and had various pet dogs and cats over the years, notably a Pyrenean Mountain dog called Monty and then German Shepherd Dog Rex. Jean and the family shared great times with the pets; Monty from when he was 5 - which was 1960 to 1965. and Rex from late 1965 to 1978.