11 Feb 2026 Personal Stories

A Tribute in Bloom: Jeff Naylor honours Josey through Mother’s Day in Bloom

This Mother’s Day, families across Kirklees are honouring the ones they love through The Kirkwood’s Mother’s Day in Bloom campaign, a heartfelt initiative that sees beautiful metal peonies displayed in the grounds of Oakwell Hall in Birstall.

For Jeff Naylor, taking part in the campaign is a deeply personal tribute to his wife, Josey, and a way of saying thank you for the care and support his family received when they needed it most.

On that time Jeff said: “In May 2021, my wife Josey was in hospital for pain in her stomach. The previous year she had a mole cut out which turned out to be cancerous, but the subsequent lymph node biopsy was negative and she was placed on a three monthly review. However, tests done in the hospital revealed cancer throughout Josey's body, and the palliative team at LGI were involved. She was given less than two weeks to live. Josey's wish at that point was just to go home.”

Jeff describes this news as one of the darkest times for their family, an extraordinary effort was made to ensure Josey’s final wish could be fulfilled. He commented: “At this point, when we were all pretty much broken, a huge effort was made by the palliative team at LGI, assisted by The Kirkwood, to provide the support to enable Josey's final days to be spent where she wanted to be, and provide the medical and social care required to alleviate Josey's pain. District nurses and doctors, attending in person and virtually, came and went to ensure that Josey got the care she needed. Sadly, Josey died nine days after her discharge from hospital.”

Like many people, Jeff admits he did not fully understand the breadth of The Kirkwood’s services until his family experienced them first hand: “I had heard of The Kirkwood, but thought they simply ran hospices,” he said. “I had no idea of their outreach activities at this time, or the degree to which those activities supported the NHS, and by extension patients and their relatives outside of hospice services. As a family we were very grateful for the support Josey and ourselves had received.”

Jeff and Josey’s children were 25 and 23 when their mum died, adults, but still at an age when a mother’s presence means everything. Jeff said: “When Josey died, our children although ‘grown up’ will miss having their mum around to share the milestones of their life as they happen.”

When he saw The Kirkwood’s Mother’s Day in Bloom campaign on social media, he immediately felt it was something Josey would have supported: “I saw The Kirkwood campaign on facebook, and it made me think that it was the kind of thing that Josey would have wanted to support,” he said. “We used to take our dog to Oakwell Hall, so we know it very well, and the collaboration with a local artist is also a great idea. And the flowers look beautiful, I've bought one for each of our children.”

Each metal peony can be dedicated in honour of a mum, grandmother or special person, creating a stunning floral display across Mother’s Day weekend while raising vital funds to support The Kirkwood’s care across Kirklees.

Jeff describes Josey as someone who always put others first. He explained: “Josey was a really supportive wife and mum, she loved her children and was looking forward to the future. She was a strong believer in helping good causes, both financially but also volunteering.”

Having seen the charity’s work up close, Jeff believes more people need to understand just how much of The Kirkwood’s care is funded through community support: “Having experienced the support of The Kirkwood as a family, I think you are very important to the Kirklees community. I'm not sure how much the community is aware of the services that the charity provides, I was certainly unaware of the extent of the support provided, funded by the charity.”

By dedicating peonies in Josey’s memory, Jeff hopes not only to honour her life, but to help ensure other families can receive the same compassionate care: “I hope the campaign is successful,” he added. “I also hope the sun shines on the Mother’s Day weekend, as Josey loved the sunshine!”

Mother’s Day in Bloom offers families a meaningful way to remember, celebrate and give back, ensuring that love, like the peonies themselves, continues to bloom.

If you'd like to dedicate a peony to a loved one for our Mother's Day In Bloom campaign just click HERE.