Celia Stobbart RIP

Gents I'm addressing a certain generation here, those who remember my aunt Celia Stobbart as she who looked after the ships visiting in the NE back in the 20th C.

Celia passed away last week, she was 88 and took a fall in her house, got pneumonia and never woke up.
The funeral is on monday the 11th, I will post details later when I have them. (I live in Catalonia so I'm a bit out of touch.)
Should anyone wish to attend or send flowers I know her family would be touched, please pass the word round.

For those who don't know Celia dedicated herself to making sure that all ships and sailors had the very best available and was an absolute wizard at solving problems. During the Falklands spat she went through a lot of anguish as she knew all the ships involved and a lot of the crews and I have rarely seen her as tense throughout the whole time that her lads were in danger.

She looked after the average matelot too, often never having even met them. I remember that once a mother and daughter came to her office claiming that the daughter was pregnant by a lad on a certain ship, she had his name, when he was berthed in Newcastle. Celia explained the processes, said she would contact the ship and the lad and explain the situation. She then chatted to the pair and got them relaxed and enquired as to when she expected the baby. The girl said that she was four months gone which Celia pounced on pointing out that the ship hadn't docked till just over three months before, and invited them to leave the office.
I remember her being indignant that they would try to pin the fatherhood on a lad who might have tried to do the decent thing and so the girl would cop for a steady wage as a service wife when it wasn't his fault.
That was Celia, looking after the lads.

Sad news but that's life.

 

I didn't know your Aunt, but she sounds like she was a great lady, and I'm sure she will be remembered by all those she came into contact with. R.I.P Celia

 

Such sad news your Aunt sounds like a great Lady.
R.I.P. Celia.

 

Completely agree .

R.I.P. Celia

 

Tyneside Crematorium,
Monday 11th, 15.00.

Thanks for the comments lads.

 

From one of her daughters.


So many stories she had!

Please post our thanks on your message board. She was a great lady. We will remember her.

 

I have just copied/pasted this from another source for you:-
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4 Oct 2014 - HMS Ledbury visits Newcastle



I am grateful to Trevor Sheehan, Director & Photographer of Defence Photography, for allowing me to publish this image of HMS Ledbury (MCM2 Crew 4) passing under the Tyne bridges yesterday to start an operational visit to Newcastle. HMS Calliope, headquarters of Tyne Division RNR, can be seen on Gateshead Quayside in the background with the Archer class patrol and training vessel HMS Example of the Northumbrian University Royal Naval Unit (URNU) berthed alongside.







Who else remembers boogeying away until the early hours on board the floating night club Tuxedo Princess or Cecilia Stobbart, known to all as Celia, who used to organise the ships' visits? She was appointed an MBE in the 1977 New Year Honours for her tireless efforts and left the Resident Naval Officer's staff to live quietly in retirement at Whitley Bay near two of her three grandsons, My erstwhile friend and former sea daddy, MCDOA member Doug Barlow, provided these reminscences in 2007:



I well remember Celia. We worked and socialised together when I was the RN Staff Officer at HMS Calliope (Newcastle RNR) 1976-78. A couple of typical incidents spring to mind:



1. Celia on the jetty in pelting rain surrounded by sacks of spuds, groceries, drinks, etc., to deliver to a ship that had been diverted.



2. Then the occasion of an unhappy girl's voice on the phone:



Unhappy girl: "HMS ******** sailed away yesterday. Do you know where to?"



Celia: "When ships are here they are my responsibility. When they leave they are no longer my business."



Unhappy girl: "Well, you should make it your business because I think my sister is still on board."

 

Thanks for that Bonny Lad

 

Thanks mate, you are faster on the keyboard than me. The family appreciate your efforts.
Take this as a double like.

 

I like this and it seems appropriate for Celia.

The Sailing ship - Bishop Charles Henry Brent.

I am standing on the seashore.
A ship sails to the morning breeze and starts for the ocean.
She is an object and I stand watching her
Till at last she fades from the horizon,
And someone at my side says, "She is gone!" Gone where?
Gone from my sight, that is all;
She is just as large in the masts, hull and spars as she was when I saw her,
And just as able to bear her load of living freight to it's destination.
The diminished size and total loss of sight is in me, not in her;
And just at the moment when someone at my side says,
"she is gone,"
There are others who are watching her coming,
And other voices take up the glad shout,
"There she comes" - and that is dying.
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