Many Thanks for joining us for the celebration of Michelle’s life.

We have a very special memorial book and if you would like to contribute a tribute to Michelle please e-mail (including any photos) to michellecanny.memories@gmail.com

We have arranged for family flowers only if you would like to contribute to Keech Hospice care please do so via this link. https://www.keech.org.uk/donate/

When you reach ‘What is the reason for your donation?’ – please add ‘In Memory of Michelle Canny’.

We are all overwhelmed by the love and support we have experienced through this very difficult and sad time, we take great comfort knowing Michelle’s touched so many people’s lives and Thanks each and every one of you.

Liam, Ethan, Orla and all of The Shortt Family

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The Live Stream

Michelle’s Eulogy

A famous writer once said, ‘Life may not be the party that we hope for, but whilst we are here, we may as well dance.’ Well if that’s true, mum was the best dancer ever.

Mum was born on 14th February in 1973, Valentines day, which is quite telling considering how much love mum had to give.

The second born to Bridge and Sean, we’re told that growing up mum always had a streak of mischief about her and a twinkle in her eye.

Right from an early age, mum always had a love for animals; often bringing home stray dogs and begging our poor nannie to keep them, bringing a baby wallaby home to bottle feed after a shift in Whipsnade Zoo and perhaps most famously, starting a ‘Rats Have Rights’ movement at school, after discovering that pest control had put down poison to get rid of the vermin. It was clear to see that mum’s career was always going to be with animals which led her to become a proud veterinary nurse, a job that she loved.

As a young girl growing up in Montrose Avenue with her sisters Donna, Fiona, Joanna and her brother Kieran, there were many happy times to be had.  The house was always buzzing with each of the siblings’ various friends, 3 legged dogs and cats and many antics were had.  I am sure many of you here today are pleased to hear that Montrose Avenue’s walls DON’T talk. A few years later mum and the rest of the family were overjoyed to be reunited with their  brother, Barry.

Mum adored her Irish roots and immersed herself in the Irish community here in Luton. Regularly frequenting all the local Irish watering holes. She loved going back to Mohill, county Leitrim, a place she truly felt at home but my goodness with Julie and Claire in tow, there were times when Leitrim didn’t know what had hit it.

It was no surprise when Mum met the love of her life, our dad, Liam. Their eyes locking across a smokey Eddie’s bar with a 19-year-old Mum merry on woodpecker cider and possibly playing the Irish version of air guitar, the air fiddle, shouting, ‘up the west and beep the rest!’. A scene we’re sure you can all just imagine if you’ve ever had a night out with mum. You can always ask Yvonne or James as they were no doubt in bar at the time.

Mum loved travelling and took a year out to explore Australia, she made and kept lovely friends along the way and had the time of her life. Apart from the time when she had washed the entire contents of her rucksack, hung them out to dry, only to discover a few hours later they had all been stolen leaving her with nothing but the insoles of her shoes. Mum’s passion for travelling never left her, enjoying places such as South Africa, America and Europe. Her zest for life knew no limits, she had even booked flights for 7 weddings that she was going to attend in 2023.

2001 saw the birth of my brother Ethan, she was the proudest mum ever and her and Liam were overjoyed. A new house, and 4 years later on the very same day, I was born and our family was complete. Many happy years rolled by, dad working hard at his business and Mum continuing with her veterinary work and raring us kids.

Ironically Mum did a 26-mile moonwalk in her bra for breast cancer with a group of 12 friends the month before Our lives were turned upside down when mum herself was diagnosed with breast cancer. Strong and determined she kept a positive mindset and did whatever she needed to do to get through it. Mum arranged a Macmillan coffee morning at the Irish Forum and Daniel O’Donnell put in a surprise appearance. It was the most amount of money ever raised for a coffee morning and mum was so proud.

Mum had a unique gift of bringing people together and nothing gave her more pleasure than seeing groups of friends and family spending quality time together. She was a social butterfly and could always be relied upon to put a smile on peoples faces. Mum was the type of person to really leave a lasting impression on you, many people have said how even after only a few encounters with mum they felt like that had known her all their lives, such was mum’s charm, wit and kindness.

A keen photographer, mum would always have her lens at the ready, taking candid and natural images of friends, family and landscapes. Her creativity didn’t stop there and she attended cookery and floral arranging classes. She was always eager to offer her services at any functions, pitting her skills into practice.

Mum told her cancer story by publishing her own book, ‘Bloods, wigs and tears.’ For any of you who have read it, it really gives a sense of the true enormity of what mum went through. Never moaning, cracking jokes and living life as fully as she possibly could.  Always a faithful woman, her faith definitely got stronger and really helped to carry her through offering her peace and strength in difficult times. Receiving a comfort cross from the nuns, this stayed in her hand most days and meant the world to her.

Mum was determined to never let cancer define her, she appeared in a fashion show for cancer awareness, which was completely out of her comfort zone. Truth be told, she was relieved it was in Norwich as she didn’t really want anyone to see her strutting her stuff down the catwalk. We were so immensely proud of her achievement, especially as she put every ounce of energy into her performance. Another example of her zest for life was when she applied to appear on the hunted, again wanting to challenge herself, this was quite ironic as her geography skills and general sense of direction left a lot to be desired- often ending up on the motorway heading towards London when picking friends up from Luton Airport.

Recently, mum was described as a Tour de Force, We believe this sums mum up to a tea, her intelligence, vibrancy and positive outlook on life meant that she lit up every room. Mum’s fight with cancer saw her being taken from this world too soon.

There is a quote from mum’s book which I’d like to share:

‘Cancer has changed me so much as person, I live more for the moment now, more than ever before.  I am up for everything and love spontaneity. I travel more, I am more in touch with nature and love to see the changes as each season ends and another one begins.  It’s therapeutic to smell the flowers and drink in your surroundings.  I don’t ever want to buried with ‘What ifs’ and ‘Why didn’t I do that’. Simple things are often the best.’

It’s hard to make sense of what’s happened, but if there is anything we can learn from mum, it’s that life is for living. Keep your face toward the sunshine and shadows will fall behind you.

Photos from you from the wake