MANOR Farm in Horfield lost a true friend and tireless campaigner with the death last month of Anna George, remembered by all who knew her as a lovely lady and a champion for the community she called home.
The following obituary was written by her brother, sister-in-law and friends at the Manor Farm Community Hub and is reproduced below with their permission.
Anna George (née Swoboda) was born on August 9, 1960, in Bexleyheath, Southeast London. She grew up near Gravesend, Kent, before attending the University of Sussex in Brighton. After her studies, she moved to Bristol, where she began her career as a translator. Following in the footsteps of both her parents, she had a remarkable gift for languages and worked as a skilled freelance interpreter, proficient in an impressive number of languages.
It was in Bristol that Anna met and married James (“Jim”) George. Together, they welcomed two sons and made their home in the Manor Farm neighbourhood. Bristol remained Anna’s home for the rest of her life, and there she put her heart and soul into her family, friendships, and the local community.
Anna was deeply devoted to improving the lives of those around her. She was a key contributor to establishing the St. Peter’s Community Centre on the Manor Farm estate, working closely with stakeholders, Bristol City Council and the Manor Farm Community Hub (MFCH) CIC, where she served as a Director and Secretary.
In recognition of her tireless volunteer service, Anna was honoured by the Horfield and Lockleaze Community Awards in 2024 and 2026, and with her close friend Ann Bennett, was honoured by the Lord Mayor of Bristol for their work in the community. Often uncaptured and under the radar, she was always recognised by those nearest and dearest to her.
Like her mother, Anna had a profound love of volunteering and the outdoors. She found joy in exploring her neighbourhood and other areas of Bristol on foot and sharing that joy with others, as a regular of the Horfield and Manor Farm Strollers Walking Group, supporting Julian and others in the group. Her walks were as much about connection as they were about movement—bringing people together with kindness and encouragement. She was also, until very recently, a youth leader helping her good friend Geoff with holding and caring for the Church Youth Centre.
Anna’s greatest happiness came from time spent with her family and many dear friends. She loved walking, meals shared out, and travelling, faithfully documenting life’s moments in the many photographs she delighted in sharing with her close family and friends at Christmas. Her circle of friends was wide and enduring, spanning from her school and university years, her professional translators group, her local neighbourhood and her volunteering in the community.
Over the past decades, Anna worked tirelessly and closely with many members of the MFCH CIC as a director, board member and secretary involved in and helping out numerous community activities, in local school fayres and church activities.
Anna was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Rita and Victor Swoboda, and by her husband, Jim, whose memory she lovingly kept alive with a rose bush in her garden and surrounded indoor memories. She is survived by her sons, Harry and Michael, in Bristol, her brother, Matthew, and his wife, Beverly, of Windham, New Hampshire (USA) and her niece, Diane, of Seattle, Washington (USA).
Anna has left us far too soon and will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her. She will be remembered for her cheerfulness, optimism, generosity of spirit, kind-heartedness and unwavering commitment to helping others.