Min Andrew MINNIE “Min” Vera Andrew (91), of Coxheath, lived all of her life in the local area. Born Minnie Heasman, she


grew up with four siblings in Milton Street, Maidstone. She worked


at Hills and Steels Depart- ment Store in Week Street and the Prim- rose and Len Milk Bar in Lower Stone Street before meeting and marrying her hus- band of 54 years, Stanley. Living in Wheeler Street, the couple raised Leila, Lesley and Larraine. Min took in sewing and ran a second-hand shop in Wheeler Street (now the RSPCA shop), while Stanley worked as a car- penter and builder all over the country. Stanley later turned the shop


into a pease pudding and faggot shop, also selling cakes and pies, which Min ran on her own. The couple extended their work to run Handyman’s Cor- ner in County Road, Maid- stone’s first DIY outlet, and later opened shops in Hedley Street, Peel Street and Milton Street. The family moved to the


Weald, living at times in Had- low, Horsmonden, Cranbrook, Tudely, Brenchley and finally Cross-at-Hand, Staplehurst. After Stanley’s death, Min moved to Coxheath. Daughter Larraine said: “My mother loved gardening, and knitted socks to raisemoney for the air ambulance. “She was always smiling and


liked a good chuckle, even near the end of her life, when she was ill.” Min leaves her daughters, 10 grandchildren and six great- grandchildren.


“Joe” Roberto GIOVANNI “Joe” Roberto (64) lived locally from 1970, the last 30 years on the Tonbridge Road,Maidstone. Born in Roseto, Italy, he came


We will remember


to Frome, Somerset, aged 14 with his mother and sister to join his father. He moved to Maidstone with his family and started working for Kimberly Clark as a crew chief, spending 30 years with the firm before being made redundant. While with Kimberly Clark,


Joe started driving a taxi, which became his main job when he was made redundant in 2000. He worked briefly for Stream- line in Maidstone. but spent most of his taxi-driving career with his own hackney cab. Joe was father to Michael and


Elisa. His partner, Maria, said: “Joe loved entertaining at home, he had that Italian qual- ity of really enjoying the com- pany of his friends, and had a love of Italy and all things Ital- ian.


“He also loved watching foot-


ball, especially big games in- volving England, Manchester United and Chelsea. We en- joyed holidays, especially the time we spent in Spain, but the main thing people will remem- ber about Joe is that he was a re- ally loving and caring man.” The eulogy at his funeral in- cluded the words: “Joe will al- ways be remembered for his honesty, a local businessman who was highly respected by everyone who met him.” Joe leaves his partner, chil-


dren and grandchildren Gio- vanni, Olivia and Alfie.


Les Freeman LESLIE “Les” Maurice Freeman (63) lived in Coxheath and ran the Simply Delicious bakery for 28 years. A master


baker who was twice named Kent’s best baker, Les’s business supplied cafes and catered for local events. His bakery sup- plied individual businesses, in- cluding the Eden Sandwich Bar in Maidstone and the Heart of


Kent Hospice café in town. Raised in Leicester as the son


of a baker, Les spent 43 years working in his trade, taking over his father’s business after he died. He moved to Dubai, where he set up bakeries and also met and marriedwife of 28 years, Romaine. The couple had a daughter, Sonya. Romaine said: “Les was very talented; he painted in oils, was good at carpentry and had a high IQ. He wrote a book about his experiences in the bakery,which can be bought from the business. He was also president of the Sol- dier Blue Motorcycle Club and rode a Harley Davidson. “People loved Les to bits, he


had a good sense of humour and was passionate about doing things the right way. He used traditional recipes, some of them over 100 years old.” Les leaves his wife and daughter.


Rose Savage WINIFRED Rose Savage (105), known as Rose, most recently of Ashton Lodge, St Michael’s Road, Maidstone, had lived lo- cally for most of her life. Born Rose Barney, in South-


wark, London, she attended school in Paddock Wood and worked locally before marrying Cecil James Savage in 1931. Cecil worked in tree care and Rose did farm work until the couple took The Engineers pub


in


Laddingford and ran it for 19 years. They raised children June, Rose, James, David and Robert. After the pub the couple moved to Gallants Lane, East Farleigh, and when she was widowed Rose moved on to The Beacon, Coxheath, where she lived in- dependently until she was 99. Daughter-in-law Joan said:


“She was a very private person who had her close friends and loved her garden and her fam-


ily. She was teetotal and had only smoked during the war, to calm her nerves.” Rose leaves four of her fivwe children (her daughter Rose pre-deceased her), nine grand- children, 18 great-grandchil- dren and 13 great-great grandchildren.


Bill Yorke STANLEYWilliam “Bill” Yorke (86) was widely known as owner and proprietor of S.W. Yorke and Sons Fencing Con- tractors. The East Farleigh-based fam- ily-firm has been running for over 50 years and is widely known for its involvement in contracts on major building works in the area and for work with organisations such as KCC. Born in Gallants Lane, East Farleigh, Bill spent over 70 years in the area, moving out to Chatham for a few years and to Kettering, Northants, to live with his daughter shortly be- fore he died. His first jobs in- cluded working for a company that specialised in animal feeds. Bill was father to John, Mick and Jane. His daughter-in- law, Gill, said: “Bill was very hard-working, sociable and someone who enjoyed his life. “He was involved in his local community and had helped the organising and building of East Farleigh Working Men’s Club.” Bill leaves his partner Iris, twoof his children (son John pre-de- ceased him), grandchildren John, Julie, Paul and Christo- pher, seven great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. Another great-great-grandchild is expected soon.


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


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