Not great news from the Willow Shoes team.

 

Georgie passed away peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, July 19th 2026, at home at Bowlands.

Georgie has been fighting cancer since March 2025, and she never let it overtake her or think that it had beaten her right up to the end. One of her last jobs was to write this update, but unfortunately she didn’t quite get to write this for us.

Her strength made the last 5 weeks at home amazing for us all. All of us had quality time and many laughs and the odd tear with her. She has tidied up many loose ends and faced every day with the attitude of making the most of it. Courier parcels are still turning up from some midnight online shopping. She never let what was going to happen beat her and fought right to the end.

She was an incredibly humble person and it is a privilege for me to write this about Georgie, from our family and the Willow Girls.

She loved shoes and clothes, Willow and Redwood fuelled that love. Many pairs of the best shoes have been in and out of our house and she was smart as it was usually 1 in and 1 out, most of the time, so I couldn’t get a handle on the tally. I would tell her to wear the ones which she brought when the buying heart overtook the head, rather than the best sellers!

We all knew her as an incredible Person, Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister, Friend and Business Woman and is so special to her Willow Girls and all her great customers and friends.

Georgie started Willow in 2000 because she couldn’t find shoes for our wedding. She also was planning to have a business that she could run from home and be a mother to our children, and over the last 26 years Willow Shoes has allowed her to have a great work life balance.

From starting at home in Wellington to the Sandringham Road store in Auckland, with

Christchurch, Wellington and Hamilton and the shoe tours as part of the journey she has poured her heart and soul into Willow Shoes.

The great support from you all made the last 26 years of Willow Shoes possible and she loved you all as customers and friends. Willow Shoes and Redwood Clothing was not a chore for her but a pleasure.

It is our mission to keep Willow Shoes going in memory of Georgie.

She also gave to so many people, every day Willow Shoes brings confidence and joy. 

She will be deeply missed.

Jamie, Joe, Johnny and Annabel and the Willow Shoes Girls.

 

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