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steven


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Madeline
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It is with great sadness that I have to pass on the news that one of our longest-standing and wisest forum members, Madeline, is no longer with us, having passed away last Friday at the age of 74 after a short illness.

I'm sure some of you have been wondering why she hasn't been posting for the last week and a half when she had been looking forward to following the Australian Open so much. Apparently she had left herself logged on here, so her daughter was able to send me a message from her account to let us know - it was extremely thoughtful of her to take the time to write under the circumstances.

Some of you who live in the north-east probably knew Madeline a lot better (offline) than I did but she came across as a lovely person on here - a really genuine Andy Murray and British tennis fan, who enjoyed the forum and did her best to help the rest of us enjoy it too (not least by being the scourge of kitchen advertising spammers everywhere!) - one of those people who embodied the helpfulness, tolerance and good humour that makes this the favourite place on the Internet for so many of us.

Madeline joined the forum just over 10 years ago, in September 2005, not long after David (Sheddie) started it and a couple of months before me. In her own words, taken from her profile on here:

"I played tennis at school, but not since.  Wooden racquets that needed great heavy presses to stop them warping. . . you can see them in the Wimbledon museum, you youngsters!

I was a dedicated Wimby Watcher all my life, used to take half day holidays when it was on to dash home and watch. Discovered tennis on the internet in very early 2005 and haven't looked back since.

Now retired from a life in accountancy, married (husband doesn't like tennis much), daughter no longer at home (now more into distance running, but still a tennis fan and we go to Wimby together when either of us gets tickets). A cat makes up the family and is in danger of being chewed when Andy is playing!"

74 seems quite young to be taken from us these days, but at least, having been born when there had only been 5 'years of hurt' (indeed, in the year Fred Perry won his last big tournament as a pro), she lived to see both Andy winning the Wimbledon title and GB finally winning the Davis Cup again, and hopefully we provided an expanded circle of tennis friends with which to enjoy those highs (and share the lows) over the last decade or so.

Rest in peace, Madeline, and much sympathy to her family, friends and everyone on here who knew her well and will miss her.



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Coup Droit


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Thank you for the post, Steven. I have tears in my eyes....

With the best of wishes and all my condolences to Madeline's family; she will be much missed.



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wolf


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I don't know what to say. What a terrible shock. 

A popular forum member who will be greatly missed. The Andy section will never be the same again. 

From her posts it seems she was a carer for her husband. Best wishes to him, her daughter and the rest of her family and friends.



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vohor


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That's really sad news :(

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Oakland2002


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Oh dear, quite a shock.

My condolences to her family and thank you to her daughter for letting us all know.

She will be sorely missed on the forum I think we all enjoyed her virtual company.

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Shhh


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Its odd as I only know "Madeline" as a name on here but this comes as quite a shock. My thoughts go out to her family. A wonderful obituary Steven, Madeline would no doubt be beaming (if not blushing a little)

RIP

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indiana


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Oh so very, very sad,.

Came across as such a caring person in many ways, not least clearly in practical ways for her husband.

May the chewed cushions remain an epitaph for her huge, but often humorous support for Andy.

All sympathy to family and friends, and it is very clear that many of us, including those like myself who have never met her, will greatly miss her.

Thank you Steven for such well chosen and appropriate words and recollections.

Rest in peace, Madeline.



-- Edited by indiana on Monday 18th of January 2016 11:41:55 PM

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wolf


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indiana wrote:


May the chewed cushions remain an epitaph for her huge, but often humorous support for Andy.

And her long suffering cat. smile



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Bob in Spain


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What a terrible shock and so sad.

At times like this, I always find it almost impossible to put feelings into words, so I thank Steven for expressing so eloquently what I am sure so many of us are thinking. Madeline will be sadly missed, not just by her real life family and friends, but also on here, by her cyber family.

The forum seems that little bit emptier tonight.

Rest in Peace, Madeline.



-- Edited by Bob in Spain on Tuesday 19th of January 2016 11:51:30 AM

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Julia Carrot


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Oh that makes me so sad . She was a good , kind person Madeline . She went out of her way to send me a private message once in case I was upset by something someone had said . Dear Madeline , thankyou for that xx

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Jan


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Oh how terribly sad. I only "knew" Madeline on here, but I'm welling up.
I always enjoyed reading Madeline's posts - a real mixture of wisdom and humour. I will miss her contributions very much.
Thanks to Madeline's daughter for taking the time to let us know. My thoughts and prayers are with all those who are mourning.
God bless you Madeline.



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RJA


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What utterly terrible news to wake up to.

In the dehumanised realm of the internet which tends to bring out the worst in all of us she was unfailingly kind and pleasant to all and her love of tennis shone through in her every post. The forum won't be the same place without her.

RIP.

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GBJ


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RJA wrote:

In the dehumanised realm of the internet which tends to bring out the worst in all of us she was unfailingly kind and pleasant to all and her love of tennis shone through in her every post. The forum won't be the same place without her.

RIP.

 I think that puts it really well.

I think most of us on here tend not to get to know too much about each other personally except the most avid posters and thus we build up 'impressions' from the little tid bits we glean from the types of things people post - a kind of sense or feeling about someone (for example when I see 'Coup Droit' I think "very knowledgeable" etc. or I see 'Bob in Spain' I have a sense of being humble and well humoured).

I have to say my 'impression'/feeling whenever I saw Madeline's lovely big M at the side was one of the most positive senses I had of all those posting on here.  I realise now I have already missed seeing her posts. So sad that we will no longer have the pleasure of them. As a fellow fan of a sport where we all enjoy replays and highlights I wish there was a way this site could do a highlights real of her posts here - I'm sure it would be one of this forum's most enjoyable if so.

Thankyou to her daughter for letting us all know and Steven for sharing it so sensitively with us. My condolences to her family and friends!



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GBJ


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If only I was more technically minded - it would be nice if we had an option of putting Madeline's M over our profile pic on here as a tribute like people did with the French flag on facebook.



-- Edited by GBJ on Tuesday 19th of January 2016 11:28:52 AM

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Helen40


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Just a name on a forum, but what wonderful posts that came from her. she helped me when someone was being rude to me on the forum years back, so have good memories of her. Thoughts go to the people she's left behind RIP. I'm saddened that I will never read your posts again.

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