Lesley Joan Heatley 1958 - 2024

Lesley was born on 26th September 1958 in Preston Royal Infirmary to Marion, Ken and sister Lynn. When Lesley’s first home on Brockholes Brow was to be demolished, her family moved to Blackpool Road, Preston.
Lesley grew at her mother’s side and that was where the life-long mother daughter bond started to be formed. In her early years she developed an interest in music by emptying the lose-change from her mother’s purse down the grid outside, just so she could hear the jingle jangle of the coins.
Lesley attended Ribbleton Primary School and Ashton High School. While there, she had a Saturday job in John Menzies’ music department. Here she expanded her interest in music into soul and R&B, with her favourite artist being Stevie Wonder.
She watched the Mackenzie’s pub Sunday League football team with her friend Jenifer, it was there that Lesley first met Steve Wrathall. At the tender age of twenty they purchased a house on Withy Trees Avenue Bamber Bridge, enabling them to marry and start their life together.
Wanting to better herself, in 1979 she secured a job at Leyland Motors in International Sales.
In the late eighties Lesley and Steve grew apart and divorced. Still working for the renamed Leyland DAF she developed a friendship with Nick Heatley, when they played team squash together. In June 1993 they married as their friendship turned into love and moved to Newton-with-Scales.
In 1994 knowing that her disarming, easy-going interview style enabled her to assess people’s skills and abilities while seemingly just making conversation, she had the first of several recruitment-based rolls, before becoming a Human Resources Manager with Scottish and Newcastle Brewery.
Knowing about her mum’s desired to have her own home, believing this would make her very happy, in September 1995 Lesley took out a mortgage to buy her parent’s council house.
In 1997 Lesley approached the owners of the Spar in Newton-with-Scales about their small extension shop. In 1998 a hair dressing company was setup, the shop underwent a complete refurbishment and I 4 Style hairdressing was created, run by a recruited manager and staff.
Finally in 1998 after selling the council house, Lesley purchased a bungalow on Chorley Road Bamber Bridge, to enable her mum and dad to have their own home.
In 2000 Lesley and Nick moved to Fern Meadow, Whittle-le-Woods to reduce their traveling time with the added benefit of being closer to her parents.
In 2001 her HR managers roll with Cable and Wireless, based in Warrington ended when it terminated its network operations. After this Lesley joined O2, who were expanding their call centre operations in Bury. For the rest of the noughties Lesley had more call-centre HR rolls with companies like Abbey National, The Co-op and Very before in 2007 obtaining an executive board roll with AI Claims Solutions, a company that handled car damage claims for insurance companies. Lesley enjoyed this roll, winning both internal and external awards over a five-year period.
In a break from work, Lesley trained Mtani the pug for Jacqueline, who recognised the bond that had formed between the two and would not split them.
When Marion suddenly passed away in Preston Royal Hospital in May 2016 Lesley was devastated and needed to move away to help. In 2017 they purchased off plan, in Chapel Fold, Whittle-le-Woods.
When Ken died peacefully in December 2019 Lesley seemed more prepared, although she often said that she missed both her mum and dad very much.
In May 2024 Lesley received excellent, caring treatment from the Hospice at Home team from Saint Catherine’s Hospice and the district nurses at her home in whittle-le-Woods. She fought to survive for five weeks, perhaps it was the car trips in search of a Mr Whippy she enjoyed so much that kept her going until at 2:50PM on 2nd June she was reunited with her mum and dad whom she still missed so very much.