Community bids farewell to Jill Whitton
She ran a successful little table, selling an array of goods at the Kingsburg shopping Centre.
Long standing resident, Jill Whitton passed away peacefully with her whole family by her side, during the early hours on Saturday, 12 October.
Ten years ago Jill decided to move to the Kingsburg shopping Centre where she ran a successful little table selling an array of goods. She was born in 1933 in Scarborough, England. She later moved to Kenya at the age of six but was sent back to England for her education at a prestigious private school called Queen Margaret school in York. After completing her schooling she tried her hand in nursing, but decided that wasn’t for her so returned to Kenya where she met her first husband Sam Browne.
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She was in Kenya during the Mau Mau uprising and would have to carry a gun where ever she went. Jill moved to Swaziland in 1952 as her father became the resident commissioner of Swaziland.
She had two children Jen and David and was divorced in 1956. She then met Jamie Whitton in Swaziland and was married in 1959 and had two more children Peter and Jo Anne in Swaziland. She ran a trading store called ‘The Pine Cone’ for many years in a little town called Mhlambanyati.
In 1983 Jill and Jamie moved to Winkelspruit. They decided to open the pet shop in the Kingsburg Centre called ‘Lets Pet Around’ which ran for over a decade.
It was during this time that Jill took care of a little girl called Pearl who was abandoned as a baby, she educated and lovingly brought her up as best she could. Jill officially adopted Pearl in 2001, but sadly Pearl went missing at the age of 20 and has never been found. Jill also had a wonderful way with all animals and she was often seen with a bird that she was nurturing or a puppy that she had rescued from the road.
She is survived by her children, Jen Rosenberg, David Browne, Peter Whitton, Jo Goebel and Pearl Whitton, her eight grandchildren and two great grand children. The family thanked each and every person who helped and enriched Jill’s life.
Her ashes will be taken back to Swaziland to be with her beloved late husband, Jamie and her parents.
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