Alan Obbard LENHAM’s Alan Obbard (61) collapsed and died at thewheel of his lorry while delivering for his employer, Brakes food serv- ice.


Alan, who lived in Croft Gar-


dens, was known locally from 40 years of involvement with Lenham Wanderers Football Club and his willingness to help with youth clubs. Alan had played for Lenham


Wanderers and remained in- volved with the club, serving the last five years as secretary. He was also registration secre- tary for the Maidstone Invicta Primary League. Alan was married to Elaine


and father to Kenneth and Stu- art.


Mick Jenner MICK Jenner (66), who lived most recently in Barming, was known widely throughout the area from running M Jenner and Son, Building Services, for more than 25 years. His previ- ous homes were in Melville Road, Maidstone, where he grew up, and Greystones Road, Bearsted. He ran his company with son


Steve, who said: “My dad was born locally and his work was his hobby. He did lots of jobs, including working in a butcher’s, taxi driving, deliver- ing paraffin on a local round, delivering milk and painting and decorating. He did the painting and decorating in the afternoon when he delivered milk in the morning andMJen- ner and Son grew out of that work when I joined him.” Steve added: “My dad was hard-working, genuine. What you saw was what you got. He was respected for his work and it satisfied him that a lot of cus- tomers came from word of mouth or repeat business. He lived to work; he hadn’t had a holiday in 18 years. When he lived in Bearsted he had cap- tained the darts team for The Bell pub. He gave a lot to char- ity, including the Heart of Kent Hospice, which is where he died.” Mick leaves his partner of 25


years, Jenny, his children, Steve and Claire, and grand-children Lauren,Molly, Jessica and Cleo.


Wendy Ann Plimley WENDY Ann Plimley (62) served as senior dental officer in the Maidstone area from 1990 until retirement in 2009. It was her final job in a distin- guished career that included work as a community dentist in the Midlands and a notable ac- ademic record. Her appoint- ment to the West Kent Primary Care Dental Service brought her into contact with people throughout the area. Wendy retired to Sussex where she became involved with the RSPB and Citizens’ Advice. Her other interests in- cluded sailing, walking and


We will remember


climbing – including ascents of some major mountains in Alaska and Kenya. She leaves her partner John


Ivory.


Henry Clout HENRY Clout (90) lived locally hiswhole life; even hiswartime RAF service included time at Detling. His homes included Dit- ton, where he was born, East Malling from 1947 to 1972, and Teston until this year when he moved to a care home in Loose. His son Les said: “My dad


was competent, adaptable, hardworking and resourceful. He began work as a fence erec- tor and went on to work for Smedley’s of Barming, Tilling Stevens and the Rootes car plant in town.” Henry followed this with a


stint as a commercial traveller before running a jeweller’s in West Malling until he retired at the end of the 80s. He did book- keeping work for Baldocks after retirement. Married for 64 years to Do-


reen, Henry was father to Les.A daughter, Gloria, died in in- fancy.


Henry, who was widowed in


2006, leaves his son, daughter- in-law Anne, granddaughters Debbie and Suzie and great- grandchildren Harry David and George Henry.


LindaWiffen LINDAWiffen (65) worked for 23 years as voluntary services man- ager of Maidstone Hospital. Linda retired three years ago


and battled Parkinson’s disease for the final years of her life. Linda’s duties included looking


after the care and welfare of 300 people, recruitingnewvolunteers to work at the hospital and help- ing to raise thousands of pounds to aid the work of the hospital’s Friends. On retirement from her main job Linda continued with


committeework and held a posi- tion on the committee until her death.


Linda, who lived in Larkfield,


was known throughout the local area because of the many people with whom she worked and her willingness to get out of her office and talk about the work she did to groups like theWomen’s Insti- tute and students in local schools. Joyce Langton, who chairs the hospital’s League of Friends, said: “Linda and I worked together for 10 years. She was a lovely, bub- bly, outgoing lady who had time for everyone. A truly inspira- tional colleague who will be very muchmissed.” She leaves her widower Ray,


two grown-up daughters and three grandchildren.


NigelMarsh NIGEL Marsh (88) had lived in Barmingfor thepast47years. Born in Chorley Wood, he moved with his family to Kenya at the age of four. Hereturned later to attend Ard-


ingly College, West Sussex, be- fore serving with the Royal Sussex and RoyalWest Kent reg- iments during thewar. He returned to Kenya, spend-


ing 18 years as a superintendent in theKenyan Police. He left after the country gained independence and worked briefly for Securicor before beginning a career in in- surance sales for Barclays bank. With Mimi, his wife of 54


years, he raised sons Brian and Alan. Alan said: “My dad had a remarkable life.He held amateur boxing titles in Kenya at feather- weight and bantamweight and was a gifted all-round sports- man. “He was a member of Kent County Cricket Club for many years, and a popular person in general. He was well known lo- cally, enjoyed a drink in the Red Start in Barming and could hold court in there with his stories and opinions.” Widowed in 2009, Nigel leaves


his sons and granddaughters Na- talie and Sophie.


Monumental Stonemasons Est. 1973


NAMM, BRAMM & NAMLC Registered New Memorials Tablets, Plaques & Vases


Cleaning, Renovation & Restoration Safety Inspections Memorial Insurance Arranged Free Brochures


Telephone 01622 762482 01233 636500 01795 436178 2 Sutton Road Maidstone Kent ME15 9AH 68 Kent Avenue Ashford Kent TN24 8NQ Howt Green Bobbing Sittingbourne Kent ME9 8QP


Laurence Shea LAURENCE ‘Lol’ Shea (42) was born in Croydon but moved lo- cally and attended Maidstone Grammar School. His varied career included


spells as a DJ in London clubs and some local pubs, as well as working in se- curity at con- certs, including Michael Jack- son gigs. More re- cently he spent 15 years as a business development manager in the local offices of haulage firm FowlerWelch. Laurence, who lived at Ab-


bots Field, off Fant Lane, mar- ried Tracey 11 years ago. She said: “Lol loved his work, and music was his passion. He had nine guitars, keyboards and drums and spent ages making his own dance tracks at home. He had records of all kinds. A lot of his friends knew him as ‘The Big Fella’.” The couple had one son, Oliver, and Lol was proud when Oliver followed him by gaining a place at Maidstone Grammar School.


Bill Sheircliff


A STALWART member of Bearsted Golf Club,William (Bill) Sheircliff (75), died suddenly inWilliam Har- vey Hospital, Ashford, after a heart attack shortly before Christmas. Bill, of Nursery Av- enue, Bearsted, joined in 1969,wasa lifemember, captain in 2004 and retired from the committee in 2010 after busy years as chairman of social. He was a very active golfer in


men’s, veterans’ and SAGS events. He was a talented swim- mer - in his youth he was selected for the EmpireGames-andakeen walker. A club spokesman said: “Bill


always had a smile and was first to greet you.” Bill and his wife Mary, a past


ladies’ captain, recently cele- brated 30 years of marriage. He leaves Mary, two stepchildren (Sarah, Mark) and three grand- children.


The Stone Shop Memorials. Any natural stone supplied, lettered and installed anywhere. Inscriptions added to existing memorials Renovations and memorial cleaning


The Stone Shop Station Hill, East Farleigh, Kent.


01622 726633 Support YOUR local paper — and we can support YOU - advertise on 01622 630330 East 39


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64