Arrangements for the funeral of Val Hill
1934-2021
The free-thinking, independent, talented woman we knew Val to be passed away peacefully on 16th May, after a short illness, in a nursing home.
Her wishes were for a Quaker-led, programmed funeral service at a crematorium, followed later by a Memorial Meeting during which all present are welcome to speak their thoughts and memories of her.
In view of current restrictions on the number of people at such events it has been decided to separate these events by a few weeks, so that more will be able to attend the Memorial Meeting.
The Funeral
The funeral will be held on Tuesday 15 June, 2.30 pm
The details of the Memorial Meeting will be posted on this website in due course.
The crematorium can accommodate 30 people seated and 15 more standing. The service will be live-streamed and will be available online as a recording. Access details for the livestream are below.
Please contact the undertakers at “A Natural Undertaking”, tel. 0121 444 0437, to let them know if you wish to attend in person.
Flowers are welcomed because Val loved them. Alternatively, a donation to the International Fund for Animal Welfare would reflect Val’s love for animals.
Live Stream Access Details -2.30pm Tuesday 15th June
Click this link to go to the Wesley Media Website to view the livestream
Login / Order ID: 97979
Password: ascxapgh
Val’s independent spirit and values of truth and beauty touched many people – shown by the number of contacts in her address book! In her search she attended many courses and retreats. Two places, Woodbrooke in Birmingham and the island of Iona, were particularly special to her.
Many will bear witness to her as a compassionate listener, with an ability to offer wise insight into problems. Her work as a therapist gave her great fulfilment through the help she brought to so many people, and it must have been a sad day for her when she finally retired in January 2020.
The loss of her son David in 2016 was a huge blow to her, and in the following years she never spent the anniversary alone. The Covid lockdowns were also difficult: as a person shielding, she spent most of her time by herself, with her books, poems, pictures of her beloved cats and the TV. She kept in touch through texts, and took even more pleasure than previously in the many greetings cards she received. They were on permanent display all around her living room where she could see them, read them and remember the messages from her friends in each of them.
Val’s family and many of her friends live far and wide, so please share this link with anyone you know who would wish to remember her.
Personal tributes and words of remembrance from any aspect of her life will all add to her story for others. Please share your contribution at the bottom of this webpage. (Please note, comments are moderated so do not go live immediately)
10 Comments
Submit a Comment
Val was a very dear friend, first as my clinical supervisor.then later a very dear friend .
Vals professionalism and guidance directed my practice and because of this made me an effective practitioner to help others.
We would dine regularly at Maison Marci and then onto the private park to sit on David’s bench and feed the ducks and chat. beautiful memories.
Val was a thoughtful and wise woman and was instrumental to my healing after losing my husband. Val will always be with me in my thoughts.
Val was the first counsellor to work at the BAC Centre in Moseley, 24 years ago. She was much loved and respected by her clients and colleagues. Val was always forthright and clear in her own views. I remember writing an article about counselling and asking her to read my draft. As a result, I practically had to start again and come up with something much more informed.
Val was very kind to us all and when a stray kitten arrived on our door step, she took it in and they became great friends.
We are all saddened to hear of Val’s passing so soon after her much deserved retirement.
Val was a long standing member of our book group; her love of books with a therapeutic slant reflected the person she was. The time she had us reading ‘A cat named Bob’ (which wasn’t too popular with the non-cat loving members of our group!) continues to make us smile. It captured her twin passions: cats and social justice. She stopped attending the group prior to lockdown, as she became increasingly fragile and didn’t want to come out in the evenings so much. When I started to attend Cotteridge Quakers in 2015 and hardly knew anyone, Val always made sure to talk to me, and look out for me, which was very thoughtful. Rest in peace, Val.
Val and I did our Post-graduate counselling training together in 1981. We lost touch for a while but were reunited a few years later, and met up every few months or so.
Like Adele’s meetings with Val, ours always started with lunch at Maison mayci, followed by a walk in the private park, and then a chat whilst sitting on David’s bench.
Val listened attentively and always had something wise and memorable to share.
She had a lot of trials in her life which she faced with courage, grace, and humour.
She helped so many clients, supervisees and colleagues over the years. And she knew how to take good care of herself. An admirable quality.
Val was a beautiful woman, both inside and out, and I’m certain she will be sadly missed, but lovingly remembered by many people.
Val and I shared an unlikely interest in Wolves fc. My step nephew went through the Wolves Academy and played 100 games for the first team between 1998 – 2010. Val always showed a keen interest in his performance through the changing fortunes of the club. She was a life-long Wolves supporter and we had a regular text exchange during Match of the Day – until very recently!
Val was a colleague and will be sadly missed. Her passion for people and commitment to her work shone through her very being. She always wanted the best for people. I found her inclusive and nonjudgemental with a strong sense of fairness. Her love of cats was lovely to be around showing her warmth and gentleness and her recognition of what we can learn from furry folk. I loved her wisdom and spirituality and the quotes she would share with me that touched her heart and also mine in the sharing.
She valued her friendships as well as those she met casually who she connected with
An incredible woman Thank you Val for all that you gave of yourself.
I knew Val for almost 40 years. We met teaching YTS students in Dudley. It was too restrictive for Val, she left and began working at Brooke in Edgbaston.
We stayed in touch and met regularly going for meals and walks including every year on her birthday, until January 2021, during lockdown. Val had membership to the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham, we always visited the apple trees she’d donated in memory of her mother. She loved to lie on the grassy slope, enjoy a cornetto and listen to the live band, and once to dance. We too walked in the Mosley park, sat on ‘her’ bench, which has a blackbird carved in the wood, her father’s favourite bird – and for her, part of making peace with their relationship.
We occasionally went to parties and to the cinema (never anything with violence for Val) and on some occasions for holidays staying at the houses of her friends in Bishops Castle and Aberdovey.
Val was always honest, quiet in manner, supportive, the least judgemental person I have ever known. For me, Val was a very private friend, clearly with a turbulent past, loving and in need of love, for which she would ask, when feeling down.
Farewell Val, a true and loving friend, I think about you lots and will miss you so much.
I had the pleasure of meeting Val when I worked at the BACC and will always remember her warm smile, calm air and knowing look. She always spoke so lovingly about her family and had a special affection for nature enjoying watching the birds from her flat window. I remember when she rescued her ‘Angel’, a stray kitten who arrived one day at the centre. She was a lovely character who I will always remember with a smile.
I met Val about 10 years ago and we bonded over cats. Val was kind and open and it was always a pleasure to see her and her delightful cat, Angel. Val, you will be missed.
I met Val on a train from Birmingham to Leeds one Friday evening in 1985. Val was going to visit her eldest son and I was visiting university friends having recently moved from Leeds to Birmingham to embark on a teaching career. I can still picture Val as she was wearing a full length green winter coat. We chatted non-stop throughout the journey about our shared love of fiction, non-fiction and poetry and struck up a friendship which has continued to this day. Whilst both living in Birmingham, we met up regularly and particularly enjoyed frequenting the cafe in the old ‘Ikon Gallery’ the cinema at the ‘Triangle Arts Centre’ and I particularly remember going with Val to see one of the first performances by the newly formed ‘Birmingham Ballet’. However, in early 1987, my teaching career led me away from the West Midlands to South America and from that time onwards, Val and I kept in touch by card and letter and more recently by text. We last met up in person in July 2010 and spent a lovely afternoon having lunch at the new ‘Ikon Gallery’. I count myself as extremely lucky to have had that chance encounter on the train, as Val was a true friend; a kind, thoughtful and generous person. Rest in peace, Val.