Jeffery Hawkes HEADCORN’S Jeffery “Juff” Hawkes (68) lived and worked in his home village all his life. He spent the last 45 years in the home he and his wife Annie de- signed and built on the site of an orchard owned by Jeffery’s fa- ther.
After grammar school, Jeffery
ran an electrical business in the High Street, combining the premises with his father’s gun shop as well as working the fam- ily’s arable farm. He also spent 30 years lecturing part-time in electrical engineering at Canter- bury College and was the vil-lage post- master for 16 years. His widow
Annie said: “He was a workaholic in a good way;
he loved getting things done and helped lots of people. He always had some project on the go. Jef- fery loved Headcorn and was proud to be a part of its life. Family and the community were uppermost in his heart.” More recently, Jeffery was a committee member overseeing the design and build of the new village hall. He leaves his widow, chil-
dren Rycharde and Lisa “Lilly”, and grandchildren Kaelan, Joshua, Lydia and Edward.
Eric Percival ERIC Percival (87) had lived in River Close, East Farleigh, with wife Elsie since 1967. Born in West Ham, east Lon-
don, Eric rose from apprentice toolmaker to design engineer to the plastics industry. A condo- lence letter described him as “one of the forefathers in the de- velopment of plastics”. Hewas an honorary fellow of
the Institute of Plumbing for his dedicated service to the indus- try and his voluntary work. Eric received a Distinguished
Service Award from the British Standards Institute for develop- ment of British, European and International Standards. Locally, he worked for Key
Terrain for many years. Later, he was the first European to run an
We will remember
Arab company and spent two- and-a-half years in Saudi Arabia with wife Elsie, trebling the out- put of SAPCO (Saudi Arabian Plastic Company). He returned to England and set up his own consultancy business with Elsie. Eric was always interested in
what was happening in East Far- leigh, contributing thoughts and ideas on the village plan. He was chairman of the resi- dents associa- tion and a leading light in setting up the new shop and post of- fice, which he ran for 10 years. He was a regular church- goer until ill health prevented him from attending. Eric leaves Elsie - to whom he was married for 67 years - son Stephen and grandson Tomas.
Peter Craven PETER Craven (78), of Loose, was a major figure in local busi- ness life. A former banker, he served as chief executive of the Maidstone and Mid-Kent Cham- ber of Commerce in the early ’90s when the post was part- time. With wife Elaine, he founded
the Earl Street employment consultancy. His personal touch included delivering post to other busi- nesses by hand, allowing him to get to know many people with whom the firm worked. Alan Reading, a former cham-
ber president, said: “Peter held the chamber together very well, he was a well-respected man.” Peter, who served as a local councillor in East Farleigh, had lived in Maidstone since 1939 and could recall GIs billeted lo- cally during the war. He represented Maidstone Grammar School in swimming and cricket. Employers during his career in international bank- ing included Thomas Cook and Barclays Bank. Retiring from banking in 1987 Peter estab- lished the executive sales de-
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ment, Earl Street Con- sultants said Peter was a “true gentleman – respected and liked by all who knew him, both so- cially or through business. A lovely, kind, upbeat, cheerful, boyishly cheeky and spritely gentlemen”. Peter leaves his wife of 45 years and sons Alex and Hugo.
Michael Small MICHAEL Small (72) had lived in Linton Gore, Coxheath, since marrying Kathleen in 1968. Michael grew up in Loose and
lost his father when he was 10 years old. He started work as a farm labourer and moved on to Kimberly Clark, Larkfield, as a papermaker. He worked there for years until retiring to look after Kathleen. Father to Emma and Jason, Michael was well known in the local area. He went to East Far- leigh Social Club and the Kim- berly Clark Social Club, and also enjoyed a drink occasionally at The Bull in Linton. Daughter Emma Wakefield
said: “People have told us they were proud to have known him. My father was happy and jolly, with lots of friends. He was the kind of person who would al- ways stop for a chat when he was out shopping.” Michael had to spend a lot of
his time caring for Kathleen who suffered from epilepsy but still found time to enjoy his fam- ily. He leaves his widow, chil- dren and grandchildren, Hannah and Jack.
Cut above the rest EDEN Hairdressing, which has salons in Marden andYalding, won five prizes in the National Hairdressing Federation Show. Bobbie Stickells (22), from
Coxheath, won first place in the Night at the Proms category, with a stunning hair-up style. Jackie Russ (17), from Marden, was awarded a third place in the Fantasy section, while Tracey Stanley, from Goud- hurst, took third place in the Senior Cut and Colour group. Sam Blake from Snodland
was fourth in the Senior Bridal section while 16-year old Laura Lowe, who lives in Maidstone, gained fourth place in the Jun- ior Bridal section. More than 300 stylists competed in the NHF show and it is the fifth consecutive year that Eden has come away with a clutch of medals and certificates.
Wonga Mzimba WONGA Mzimba (62), of East Farleigh, died after collapsing during a squash game. His friend and fellow member
of Mote Squash Club, Kim Roberts, said: “He was so easy to get on with, always great fun. He never laughed at anyone but al- ways with them. Anyone could feel easy in his company.” The son of a surgeon – and a Zulu chief by birth – he moved to the UKin 1958 with his family. AccountantWonga lived and
worked locally for many years. He was known throughout the
area as a musician and member of the band, the 2.38s. He had been a member of
Mote Squash Club for 23 years, serving as treasurer for a spell. The club has instigated a sportsmanship shield in his memory. The first winner was presented with the award at the Kent Open on May 28. Wonga’s ability to tell a story
has left his many friends with fond memories and his funeral was packed to overflowing. He leaves a daughter, Chloe.
Editor needed HEADCORN’s church-pub- lished magazine is seeking a new editor following the res- ignation of Naomi Dickins. Naomi, who was in charge
for two years, developed a computer system that can be used by her successor. If you are interested, contact the chairman of the magazine committee on 01580 891377/
jean@rumcars.org.
Low-cost homes A PLAN has been lodged to convert an agricultural build- ing into four “low cost” two- bedroom terraced houses at 7 Wheeler Street, Headcorn. A planning document claims that the current building has been on the market for lease for two years without interest.
DHA conversion DHAPLANNING has applied to convert former office space at Southgate Barn, High Banks, Loose, into two three- bedroom homes.
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