Tributes have been paid to a much-loved community stalwart and former World Transplant Games gold medallist who died suddenly last month.
Eileen Moxley, 58, of Saighton, had been given the all clear from cancer just days before she suffered a heart attack at her home on January 16.
The mother-of-one was well known in the community for her work as vice chairwoman of Saighton Community Centre and for her love of sports, especially badminton which she played regularly in the village.
Despite undergoing a kidney transplant at 12 and being on dialysis as a teenager, Eileen, originally from Birkenhead, managed to gain professional qualifications in chemistry and was also able to represent Liverpool at the debut Transplant Games in Portsmouth in 1978, winning medals in racket sports and continuing to play in subsequent games for the next 20 years.
She also represented Great Britain in the World Transplant Games in Athens, Sydney, Budapest and Manchester, again winning several gold medals in racket sports, and in 1991 was named Wirral Sportswoman of the Year.
Eileen had a son in 1987 with her estranged husband and some years later met her partner Mike Bonar, whom she remained with until her death, living in both the North East and Waverton before settling in Saighton where she threw herself into community life, especially sports, playing regular badminton.
As a lasting legacy to her, the villages of Saighton and Aldford have now arranged an annual badminton competition in her honour and with a trophy named after her.
Mike told The Chronicle: “Eileen was full of enthusiasm, positive and remarkably energetic – everything she did she did it well. Her motto was ‘don’t sweat the small stuff’.
“Later in life she had numerous health issues but in spite of this she remained fully active, both professionally and in her sporting life – never letting adversity to get the better of her.
“Eileen’s ethos in life was very much to squeeze the very best of out of every day and every opportunity, never letting the small problems get her down and always focusing on the positive.”
He added: “She had an infectious enthusiasm that made her very popular in the village – some people have sent cards to me saying how much she touched their lives even though they had only known her a short time, and someone said: ‘Thank you for choosing our village to live in.”
Eileen’s funeral will be held at noon at Aldford Church tomorrow (Friday).
