This page has been created to celebrate and remember the life of my beautiful wife and mother of our three children who to the deep sadness of many passed away on the 2nd April 2025. I will be adding pictures and memories that I hope will bring comfort and solace to those who new her (Simon - husband 26 years).

Below is the eulogy used at Soranas Funeral which I had the privilege of reading to my beloved wife's family friends and colleagues. Many thanks to the caring and lovely words of love and consolation so many have sent through cards, online and in person. 

Sorana was born on December 10^th 1977 in Craiova in Romania, to Gabriela and Pompilius Capraru. Sorana has an older brother, Razvan and her uncle Ninel and his family who are all here today.

Sorana started to study medicine at Cluj University in Romania when she was 18 years old. She came to England initially as my pen friend and after couple of years, we decided to get married which we did on January 17^th 1999. We both loved the natural world and Sorana studied for a BSc in Biology while waiting to apply successfully for medicine at the University of Birmingham. She graduated from Birmingham and became a Doctor of Medicine in May 2006. She began work in the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust in Stoke as a Registrar eventually becoming a Consultant Anaesthetist at New Cross hospital in 2022.

Most of you will be aware of Sorana’s achievements in academia and as a doctor so I will read a small selection of words our friends and Sorana’s colleagues have sent, as I think they encapsulate the feeling of love and sadness we all feel.

Vicki and Richard

You have taught me so much about life, living with dignity and myself and I wish we had another 24 years to talk and laugh. I and the rest of the girls promise to keep Eddie, Alex Francesca and Simon in our lives and talk to them a lot about what a wonderful person you are. I will miss your strength and wisdom hugely. Rest easy my friend. I don't believe this is goodbye so instead I wish you God's speed until we meet again.

(Helen Steed)

It is with deep fondness that the education team remember Sorana, whose contributions to education, training, and the support of colleagues made a lasting impact on all who knew her.
Sorana was one of those rare people who combined expertise with kindness, always generous with her time, her support, and her wisdom. She was a go-to person — someone you could rely on completely — and her strength made a real difference in the lives of many.

Throughout her illness, she continued to give of herself with extraordinary grace. Even when facing her own health challenges, she was thinking of others — offering support, especially during the difficult times of shielding, and finding ways to bring her lived experience into her work to help others feel seen and supported.

Her warmth, courage, and deep sense of care leave an enduring legacy in our education community and beyond. Sorana taught us not just through her professional work, but by her example — showing how compassion, generosity, and dignity can touch and lift those around us.

She will be greatly missed, but the difference she made will be long remembered

Simon and Charlotte Avann - she was an incredible woman - strong, kind, full of grace. She had a calmness about her that could steady any storm and a giving spirit that touched everyone around her. Truly the best of what we can hope to be as human beings.

Majid Shaikh

Sorana was a great colleague and friend. She was a great doctor, and an inspiring person. One of our lights has gone out and we are all the poorer for her passing. I hope you gain some comfort for the love and respect she had from amongst all her colleagues. I pray God gives you strength and fortitude at this difficult time. For God takes back what belongs to Him, our loved ones may leave us, but the hand of God is always there to help us through these times. In time these dark days of pain will be replaced with smiling memories.

Carolyn Berry - Sorana was such an incredible human being and friend and the way she carried herself through this final illness was a testament to that. It has been a privilege to be part of her life.

Gaynor Greeney (sister in Law)

What was special about Sorana is the incredible compassion she had towards other people. Whoever she met Sorana was always able to empathise with them, she would do her best to help them, she would put them first. She was humble, sincere and she kept her faith in God, with resilience and courage even when she was very ill. She always had hope and gave Hope to others. Always the optimist. We keep her love and compassion in our hearts and thank God for her beautiful life today.

My wife was totally committed to her vocation as a doctor, she was a loving mother and wife and the care of others was what she lived for. She loved her family deeply and was always willing to listen and impart her warmth, support and love. She always spoke with great affection about her colleagues and thoroughly enjoyed her career in the service of others. In recent years she had taken a professional interest in helping both patients and colleagues develop emotional resilience training to help them deal with the many challenging moments they faced in Hospital life and beyond.

Sorana always ensured she spent quality time with our children no matter how tired she was. She would persevere helping with homework and had remarkable patience when the children displayed some reluctance to engage fully with the National Curriculum.

She always strove to teach them Christian values and did this by example not direction. Sorana was forgiving, patient and always striving to create a family where fun and laughter were the norm.

When Sorana was told that her illness was more serious than we had hoped as always with my wife she only had smiles for me and the children. I remember we took the children for a walk to explain as best we could that we needed to make the best of every day and look after each other. Sorana didn’t dwell on her health concerns she was totally focussed on our children and their future.

In her final hours Sorana said she was so happy to have had three beautiful children, a wonderful family and friends and a great career. She was not bitter and angry about leaving this world well before her time. She had seen many happy and sad things in her career and life and felt she was no different from anyone who must endure being parted from their loved ones. Her love for us all was beyond measure. Our love for her will not diminish or wane and as Jesus promised one day we will be with her once again.

Rest in peace my love

Alfons Hofstetetter - Sorana a dream. You left us with a smile. We are frozen in deep shock, with a thousand unfulfilled plans. You only smile at us, speaking comfort. I'm not gone just there in a different way, in the wind, the stars, in your hearts. The dream blows away , the day breaks, but your voice and your face accompany us through night and pain into a new morning.

Simon and Charlotte Avann - she was an incredible woman - strong, kind, full of grace. She had a calmness about her that could steady any storm and a giving spirit that touched everyone around her. Truly the best of what we can hope to be as human beings.

Carolyn Berry - Sorana was such an incredible human being and friend and the way she carried herself through this final illness was a testament to that. It has been a privilege to be part of her life.

Razvan (brother) my heart is broken and I don't know how to fix it.

Pompilios (father) - Sorana was an angel and God calls his angels to him

Remarkably Sorana here had been told the day before that her illness was more serious than we had hoped and despite this as always with my wife she only had smiles for me and the children. We took the children for a walk to explain as best we could that we needed to make the best of every day and look after each other. Sorana was the most courageous person you are ever likely to meet and the most loving.