A retired florist who lived in the same house all her life has died, aged 94.

Jean McCluskey was born in number 13 Acorn Street, Sheerness, and was determined she would never leave the terraced home, her family say.

On Thursday, August 31, she passed away there, after having battled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Her children Jamie McCluskey and Jan Clements paid tribute to their mum, who they described as “the last of her era” and recalled how much she loved her quirky house.

Jamie, a retired social worker, said: “It was a part of her and she was always happy when at home.

“Everyone knew each other on the street. There were the Turnballs, Johnsons, Millers and McGuinesess.

“There were always people in and out of our house, it was always busy with relatives and people from around the area.”

The 66-year-old noted that the street looks almost exactly the same, save for some new-build homes on the plot of a garage he used to use as a ‘goal’ when he played football with friends while growing up.

Part of the reason for Jean’s devotion to her house was her personal touches to the interior, including an arty wall in her kitchen she made by cutting bricks in half, sticking them on with cement and painting them black.

“That was mum all over,” said Jan, “She was a really creative woman who made her own curtains, and sofa coverings as well as decorating the walls with pictures and ornamental butterflies.

“She made the house her own and was always happy living here.”

The siblings said their mum always tried to help people in her community, inviting people in to stay in the house if they needed to and was constantly surrounded by family members.

“She was a massive family woman,” they said.

“Part of the reason she lived on the Island for so long was because she had family in the area and built her life here.”

Jean was born in the home on June 3, 1929 and would later take ownership of it from her own mum and dad in the 1950s.

But before that, she had to get through the Second World War.

When the conflict broke out in 1939, Jean heard sirens announcing Britain had declared war on Germany while she was on the diving board at Sheerness swimming pool, which she had to quickly get down from and rush home.

Fast forward to the end of the war and Victory in Europe Day, 15-year-old Jean joined in the celebrations while on the back of a fire engine.

It was during this time she met Patrick, who was serving in the Royal Navy on HMS Wildfire, which was based in Queenborough.

The pair met at a dance at the Wheatsheaf Pub where Patrick asked “Are you dancing tonight?”

Jean answered, “Why, are you asking?”

They married in 1947 when Jean was 18 and Patrick was 21.

The ex-florist, who worked at French for more than 20 years, rarely left the Island, save for travelling abroad.

In their 73 years together she and Patrick would go on holiday to destinations such as Las Vegas, Austria and Benidorm.

Another of Jean's hobbies for gardening and she loved having flowers in the house.

Patrick, who was born in Glasgow, died on May 31, 2021 next to Jean in Acorn Street- a heartbreak from which Jan feared her mum would not survive.

She leaves behind six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, with another great-grandchild on the way.