THE former wife of the late Warrington Rugby League Club legend Jim Challinor, Wendy, who helped set up Challinor Sports at Padgate, has sadly died.
Wendy Challinor, nee Stringer, or Wendy Carey as she was latterly known, was the only Child to Bill and Gladys Stringer and was Born on the 16th September 1935
Wendy, who was a much loved only child, had a close family upbringing, which continued with her own young family.
In her mid-teens she went to Dance halls, where she met Jim Challinor the love of her life, she was 15 and Jim 16.
This was the start of a love story as Wendy, who worked for The Midland Bank as a junior clerk, continued to support Jim in his professional Rugby career, with the couple marrying in 1956, having three children, Neil, Yvonne, and Nadine.
She started by going to games with her father to watch Jim, who made 282 appearances for Warrington, scoring 135 tries, kicking 2 goals for 409 points.
Challinor won caps for Great Britain while at Warrington on the 1958 Great Britain Lions tour against Australia and New Zealand. He also played for the Lions in the 1960 Rugby League World Cup against France, helping Great Britain to victory.
In 1963 Challinor moved to Barrow. He was captain-coach in Barrow’s 12–17 defeat by Featherstone Rovers in the 1966–67 Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, which proved to be his final game for the club.
They moved back to Warrington and lived with Wendy’s mum in Fir Grove whilst they built their family bungalow in Fearnhead, which is still the family home to this date.
In 1967 Wendy and Jim set up Jim Challinor Sports, a well-known, much loved independent sports shop based on Padgate Lane, Padgate.
In 1976 Wendy very sadly lost Jim to Cancer and two weeks later lost her Mother, leaving Wendy and the family without a Husband, Father, Mother, and Grandma.
But Wendy had to be strong and brought up the family along with continuing to run the family business for a further 29 years.
She remarried to Peter Carey in 1983, Who was a Chief Inspector in the Cheshire Police.
She finally retired at the age of 70 and would laugh about how many pints of maggots and ground bait she had sold in her career. She felt very blessed having 8 grandchildren
Wendy loved to support her grandchildren and could be found on the sidelines at Lymm Rugby Club, telling off her grandsons if they missed a tackle and on the odd occasions also telling off the Ref.
She loved supporting Lymm home and away. Her other passion was annually going to Henley Regatta to support one of her grandsons.
Wendy was blessed with having 2 Great Granddaughters with another on the way in January 2021.
Wendy also enjoyed travelling and visiting friends and family, in Canada, New Zealand, Australia and many other destinations across the world on cruises.
She also loved going to the theatre, jazz evenings, concerts at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester and country walks with the family.
She had a wide circle of friends and was a member of the WI and various luncheon clubs.
In later years she struggled with vascular dementia, sadly passing away in the family bungalow aged 85, on her late mother’s Birthday, 17th December 2020.
