Rosemarie Cheetham Spain

Our Mimi was born in a small village called, Ripon, in Yorkshire, England, on May 9, 1938 to parents William and Lucy Cheetham. Shortly after her birth, they moved to Lincolnshire, Lincoln, England. She had a half-brother named, Gabriel Cheetham; who died on December 13, 1997. Mimi’s Father was a deployed RAF fighter pilot during WWII. His plane was shot down by enemy fire over Germany when Mimi was about three years old. His remains were never found.

At the age of five, Mimi joined an amateur dance and drama school. She learned ballet, tap, and ballroom dancing; and later performed as a singer/dancer in musical productions. She continued performing until she graduated from St. Mary's convent in Lincoln, England.

In February 1959, Mimi met her future husband on a blind date. His name is Ronald Spain - he moved to England from California to be part of a team of engineers and technicians on a two-year military defense program called "the Emily Project".

After a six-month magical romance, Ron and Mimi were married at St. Hughes Cathedral in Lincoln, England (August 22, 1959). In 1959, Ron and Mimi left England and settled in Los Angeles, California where their first child, Maria Theresa Spain was born.

Two months later they moved to Melbourne, Florida. This was the start of a whirlwind journey of moving 26 times and purchasing nine homes in her 60 years of married life (Maryland, Colorado, New Mexico, Baton Rouge, etc). In Florida, she had three more children: (Miche'le, Michael, and Matthew) and returned to California in 1967.

After moving to California, Mimi continued her passion for dancing and singing and directed an adaption of “South Pacific” with a cast of members from the military defense project in England [who had also returned to California]. Mimi had a wonderful gift of singing and dancing.

She would dance around the house to the musicals she saw in London, and other theaters. Mimi and Ron danced at clubs and events whenever possible. Soon after moving to the states, Mimi learned how to play “duplicate bridge” and it was a passion that she shared with her husband. She attained a level of expertise in the competitive game of Bridge; she became a Silver Life Master and continued playing until her last days.

Her husband’s jobs relocated her to many places and the first thing she would do is find the nearest Bridge Club. After her husband's retirement from McDonnell Douglas, they continued traveling overseas [while Ron consulted in the Aerospace Business]. Often, Mimi would accompany him to such places as Tokyo, Spain, Hong Kong, Singapore and Germany. Every time she traveled, she was packed like an experienced traveler and she was excited to plan her next adventure.

Mimi had a passion for visiting Casinos and enjoying the glamour and glitter of the slot machines and black jack tables. She was very lucky and enjoyed making friends. She was known to gamble, often times until dawn - remaining full of energy.

Mimi was a kind and loving Mother - her children benefited from her English heritage. The family went on two-week vacations to England in 1967, 1970 and 1973. There were many happy memories for the children seeing where their Mother grew up. The family went to Scotland's Edenborough Castle to enjoy the Scottish “tattoo” festival and the many bagpipes. They visited Wales, and London was always a stopover for the family to tour the many attractions and sample international foods.

She would want you to know that she appreciated her family and friends for their love and support - especially during the last few months. She was the family's pride and joy and will always be remembered and deeply missed. Mimi is survived by her husband, Ron Spain, four Spain kids (and a daughter-in-law); three grandchildren; and Nieces and Nephews from both the Cheetham and Spain families. Your wings were ready but our hearts were not.