I forgive my husband’s killers: Widow’s extraordinary compassion towards two yobs who swaggered off laughing after beating to death church organist on Christmas eve
The focal point of Maureen Greaves’ house is the exquisite chestnut piano. The lid is still closed today, but its shiny surface is regularly maintained.
“It was never, ever shut until this year,” she continues, her eyes sparkling. The stillness is one of the most difficult things.
Alan was constantly fiddling or singing, whether it was The Beatles or Tchaikovsky.
“Now there is nothing at all; there is complete silence.”
You can feel the emotion that is bottled up in these sentences. It adds to Maureen’s already amazing generosity.
Since Alan, a 68-year-old church organist, passed away three days after being brutally assaulted with a pickaxe
handle while on route to Midnight Mass, it will be eight months on Tuesday.
Furthermore, Maureen has openly forgiven the criminals, rather than harbouring resentment towards them.
The viciousness of the senseless act, along with its timing, stunned the country and continues to infuriate and
embarrass Sheffield’s close-knit community.
If Maureen’s selfless reaction to the tragedy isn’t awe-inspiring enough, she has since shown similar strength in
facing yet more hurdles. Four days before the murder trial began in June, she herself was attacked by a woman on
the street, who hit her in the face and tried to steal her handbag — yet Maureen has chosen to forgive her also.
‘Forgiving Alan’s killers was the hardest challenge of my life,’ she says. ‘What happened to me pales in significance
compared to that.’
When I express incredulity at her resolve, she puts it down to her Christian faith but admits: ‘There were moments
when it felt like I was letting them off.
‘But then I realised that was illogical: you can get justice and forgive.’
Though she stresses: ‘It doesn’t make the grief any easier. It isn’t a case of being in denial or hiding your feelings; I’ve
cried an awful lot. I still do.’
In cold blood: Alan Greaves, 68, was killed by two thugs , who attacked him with a pickaxe and left him with every bone in his face broken by the roadside
Even though Maureen characterises herself as the loud and impulsive one in the forty-year marriage, what really
stands out as she speaks is her quiet dignity and forbearance.
As she describes how losing Alan is made much more difficult by the depth of their marriage, her voice falters. “For
us, it was about two people finding the right person,” she says.
When we got married, I was deeply in love with Alan, and I remained so right up until the very end. That love
endures even when a person passes away.
In 1970, the pious Christians met while undergoing training to become childcare officers, and they both had a strong
sense of community.
Maureen’s face lights up with tangible joy as she talks about how she first saw the tall, attractive 26-year-old, who
was five years her senior.
“I was drawn to him right away,” she claims. “I loved how gentlemanly he was as I watched him open the classroom
door for a colleague.” A year after they first met, Alan eventually plucked up the nerve to ask her out for coffee, and
six weeks later, he proposed. The date of their marriage was April 1, 1972.
Together, they lived and worked in a children’s home for four years before starting a family of their own, which
currently consists of Emma, Martin, Alison, and Peter, all of whom are in their 30s.
Alan always made sure he was home for storytime and bath time, despite his long hours as a social worker.
According to Maureen, “we were a family with a routine.” Alan would rehearse the piano on Saturday mornings
before we all went out for the day, either to see the rocks at Matlock or ride the steam train.
Church was always on Sunday mornings. We took turns with Alan’s and my parents in the afternoons. There would
be a family vacation each year.
The family moved to Sheffield’s High Green ten years ago. Alan quickly quit his job to join Maureen in the Church
once she began working as a Church Army evangelist by that point, which involved bringing individuals to the
Church.
The kids, meanwhile, went their separate ways: Alison is a missionary in Mozambique and recently adopted five-
year-old orphaned twins, Marta and Naccio, while Emma is currently employed by the South Yorkshire police.
Martin lives in a residential care, while Peter stays at home and attends Sheffield University. Both of their sons
struggle with learning.
“The marriage wasn’t flawless,” she admits. Like any other couple, we had our to-do list, but we were incredibly
committed to one another. We had fun together.
Alan gave his wife a bouquet of flowers and the words, “We’ll have a lovely Christmas together,” on Christmas Eve. I
adore you. I’m so happy I got married to you.
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