Loving mum gave so much to Australia

Mar 25 2008 by Katie Bodinger, South Wales Echo

PORTHCAWL-BORN family woman Christina Graves has died in Australia at the age of 55.

CHRISTINA Graves worked hard for her family and for scores of others in Australia.

Born in Porthcawl in 1952, she lived in Hookland Road with dad Terry Meyrick, an electrician at the steelworks in Port Talbot, and mum Jo, a housewife. At the age of two, she emigrated to Perth, Australia, with her family.

But she had close links with South Wales throughout her life. Her last visit was in 2002, when she went to see her cousin who lives in Newton.

Known as Tina until her mid-teens, she lived in whatever housing was available to her father.

Most of her schooling was in Leederville. She left at 15 to become a nursing assistant, shop assistant, clerk and factory hand, among other jobs.

She met her future husband, Jeff Graves, on October 8, 1968, and married him in 1972. Their happy partnership lasted for the rest of her life.

The couple bought a house in Yokine in 1973 and first born Jared arrived in 1976. That year, the family moved to Dianella where Christina became an influential member of her church, school and community for the next 29 years.

Second child Daniel arrived on July 7, 1977, when TV station Channel 7 was giving $77.77 to each child born that day.

Christina made the national news in 1981 when she completed a fun run while eight months pregnant with daughter Carly. Soon afterwards, she ran a marathon.

In 1982, Christina became a teacher in the Natural Family Planning clinic, Perth. She gave birth to her fourth child, Megan, in 1984.

An excellent public speaker, Christina was appointed director of Catholic Marriage Education Services in 1997. She completed an associate degree in training and development in 1999.

She was diagnosed with leukaemia in February last year and died on February 26 this year.

As well as her parents, four siblings and four children, she also leaves grandchildren Lily and Heidi.