Forres mum, granny, carer and volunteer Lesley Edwards has died

A MUCH-loved local citizen and true Forres lassie has passed away, aged 75.

Forres Community Council (FCC) member, Lesley Edwards leaves behind children Mark, Abigail and Joanne, and grandchildren Kaylie (24) and Lucas (11) who welcome everyone to remember her at the funeral home on Clovenside Road at 11.15am on Saturday, January 22.

Joanne said: “Mum appreciated being able to live out her retirement in her beloved home town. We’d like to thank the community for how happy volunteering in Forres made her.”

Lesley was born in Burdshaugh in the burgh and raised with her sister Dorothy, as well as brothers Colin, Lenny, Davey and Jimmy.

She often fondly reminisced about running free in and around the town as a child. Lesley’s father was a gardener and instilled in her a strong love of nature which, as she remembered, often led to distraction at school!

On Sundays, the young Lesley occupied the Falconer pew at St Lawrence Church with her granny, as well as attending Caroline Street Gospel Hall for Sunday school. While visiting the Hall in recent years, Lesley was delighted to be remembered and enjoyed the same welcome she always had.

In adulthood, Lesley was open exploring different cultures and beliefs. She adored the Dalai Lama, spoke often and fondly of the Romanies and enjoyed the company of Pluscarden Abbey’s monks when there on retreat. However, she remained quietly firm in her stance as a Born-again Christian.

After marriage her host of creative talents such as painting and baking took a back seat while she raised her family in Lossiemouth then Elgin. During time in Aberdeen then back in Forres she worked as a carer but struggled with the restricted timings for home visits, stretching the allocated slots when she could.

In retirement, the avid reader joined writing clubs, ran book groups and attended art classes. Knowledgeable about a wide range of subjects, she believed it was her father who encouraged her lifelong self-education. He not only taught her to read, but also instilled the importance of books.

As passionate about Scotland as she was about Forres, Lesley became a supporter of the Scottish National Party during the 2014 Independence Referendum.

Forres Community Council channelled her interest in social justice and her desire to help the people of Forres. Victories included having "kneeling buses" routed to Forres that can be for lowered for pensioners and other people with mobility issues.

Lesley regularly helped out Forres Area Community Trust (FACT) and Film Forres at Forres Town Hall, as well as Forres Heritage Trust (FHT) at Nelson’s Tower.

During the Covid-19 lockdowns she became a telephone befriender and helped FACT distribute food packages.

She also rediscovered a passion for crafting, using her needles to knit for the coffee morning tables at the Town Hall.

Tributes from all sections of Forres society have flooded in following the sad news of Lesley's passing.

Moray Councillor Lorna Creswell (Forres, Independent), who was a fellow volunteer, said: “Lesley called older people during lockdown and did their messages. She was so reliable - she will be sorely missed.”

June Kirk, secretary of the Forres OAP Association said: “Lesley was a very active lady who got stuck in! She was a wonderful craftswoman and loved making things for other people. She was a lovely, pleasant, smiling, chatty, helpful person and a great asset to the town. She leaves us with lots of happy memories.”

FCC chairwoman Kathleen Robertson acknowledged Lesley's vital role as a link to the pensioner community: “She often brought views from her fellow pensioners and kept us updated on issues which affected our older Forres community members.”

FACT director Joanna Taylor confirmed Lesley was a long-standing member and also became a director in 2019.

She said: “Lesley gave unstintingly of her time, helping FACT staff and clients in many and varied ways. Lesley volunteered extensively for a number of other Forres organisations at the same time. She cared deeply for people and for Forres. Our thoughts are with her family.”

Bob Kenny of Film Forres called Lesley “a true stalwart who contributed so much to her community”.

He added: “Lesley will be remembered with affection as being authentic, honest, kindly and straight talking. We benefitted from her help and support which was given freely without question. We will miss her and all of Forres will be the poorer for her passing.”

Finally, FHT chairman, Cllr George Alexander also welcomed Lesley's help.

He said: “She was one of the most kindly souls I have met. FHT is particularly grateful for the many hours she gave as a volunteer on Nelson’s Tower.

“Her time as a home-carer was indicative of her caring approach to her fellow citizens. She will be sorely missed by many.”