Peter Chislett AIR Commodore Peter Joseph Alan Chislett CBE (79) lived in Manor Rise, Bearsted, for 30 years.
He enjoyed a distinguished service career and was well known for driving a train on Mote Park’s model railway. The son of a RoyalMarine, he
was born in Chatham to a fam- ily from Devon. He began his career with national service be- fore volunteering for officer training in the RAF. He em- barked on a career in radar as a fighter controller, which saw him rise through the ranks to serve as the first ever Air Com- modore in his branch. His postings included service
in Cyprus and a lengthy spell in Belgium, serving at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Eu- rope. He also served in Libya, Is- rael, and other overseas postings. Peter was awarded his CBE for redesigning the air defence sys- tem for the UK with the RAF. On leaving the RAF he re- turned to Belgium, where the electronics giant Siemens head- hunted him for his knowledge and expertise in their industry as NATO director. Married toWendy for 58 years,
Peter was father to Andrew, Craig and Melanie.Wendy said:
We will remember
“Peter was a very kind, gentle and humble man and many peo- ple have commented on the fact that he was a true gentleman.” Peter’s interests included ge- nealogy, and he traced his family history back to the year 1500 and explored links to relatives in Canada and Australia. He was appointed president of the local model engineering society and served the organisation in Mote Park for many years, driving an engine he built himself. Peter leaves his wife, children
and grandchildren; Annabel, Thomas and Megan.
Lilian Vane LILIAN Vane (96), who died at Barty House care home, was a resident of Yeoman Way, Bearsted, from 1948 to 2011, and formerly lived in Barming. Born Lilian Durling in Merstham, Surrey, she moved locally when young and married Douglas in 1947. Doug worked for Waddington’s Games, in a man- agement role, involved in the making of the Subbuteo table football game, and Lilian did secretarial work for Drake and Fletcher’smotor dealership.
Friend and neighbour, Janet Brimacombe, said: “Lilian had a mischievous sense of humour and liked to tell jokes she had picked up at the bridge club. She kept dogs for most of her life and enjoyed music, her garden and reading. She was a very calm person and a really good friend.” Janet’s husband Peter said: “Lilian belonged to a number of local bridge clubs and could play to a very high standard, she was aheatwinneratthe Epson Worldwide Bridge Contest in 1990.”
Lilian, who had three dogs,
had no children and was wid- owed in 1993
Jim Hall JIM Hall (67), who has died in Portugal, was an internation- ally-renowned jazz drummer who lived and worked in the UK, Paris and Portugal. He left Maidstone Grammar School and began a ca- reer at Reed’s Paper Mill, Tovil, where he was being groomed for management, but his love of jazz led to him forging a new career. Jim’s friend Bennie Symonds
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said: “Jim was an articulate, el- egant and intelligent man; a natural musician and a real bo- hemian. He was something of a reverse hippy in that he went from the suit and day job into a bohemian career. “He started playing in local
bands and performing in ven- ues like The London Tavern, the Wig and Gown and the Royal Star Hotel Ballroom. His first local bands included The Crescent City Stompers and The Freddy Carter Band. “Legendary jazz drummer
Alan Ganley gave him lessons, but soon stopped and said he couldn’t teach Jim any more. “The list of people with whom he worked covers sev- eral pages, his performances and recordings include work with the very best, people like Al Cohn, Ray Budd, Dick Mor- rissey, Eddie Lockjaw Davis and Mose Allison. He also per-
formedwith DudleyMoore and backed Alison Moyet on stage.” Jim got married and was fa-
ther to Elizabeth, Alison and Roman. His talents also in- cluded photography (in which he had a degree from Maid- stone College of Art) and cricket. He played as a wicket keeper for Linton Park Cricket Club for many years. Jon Harris, of Linton Park Cricket Club, said: “Jim first played cricket for Linton Park in 1967. In total he scored 5,956 runs and – as a wicket keeper – claimed 671 victims (476 caught, 195 stumped), a club record. He played in the 1978 National Village Final at Lord’s.”
Although he lived at various
times in London’s East End, Paris and Portugal, he contin- ued to return to Maidstone and stay with his mother near the cricket ground. Jim leaves his mother, sister, children and grandchildren.
Jim Saxby JAMES “Jim” Saxby (78) lived locally his whole life, and spent his final six years in Cumberland Avenue, Shepway. His previous homes included Barming. Jim spentmuch of hisworking
life at Tilling Stevens andAyles- ford Paper Mill, doing produc- tion work, before taking a part-time job after retirement, cleaning at MaidstoneMarket. In his younger days he hadworked in London, cutting the grass at Clarence House for the Queen Mother. Married for 52 years to Shirley,
Jim was father to Sonia, Anita, Linda, Helen and Peter. Anita said: “He was a quiet man who liked his own company and loved going out to the coast. “He enjoyed pottering in his
shed making things, although not all of the results were suc- cessful. He once took the wheels of my new barbecue to make a trolley. “He enjoyed playing fruit ma- chines, both in town and when he went to the coast.” Jim leaves his wife, four of his children – daughter Sonia pre- deceased him – eight grand- children and four great-grand children.
Bob Pullar ROBERT “Bob” Pullar (83), of Egerton, was a self-taught farrier who had lived and worked lo- cally since his family moved to a farm in Lenham, from Scotland, whenhewas aboy. Bob, the youngest of eight chil-
dren, ran the Noah’s Ark farm in Headcorn. When it was sold in 1984, he lived and worked as a farmer in Lenham with his part- ner Renne. Well-known in the farming community, the couple were more widely known for selling poultry and eggs. Bob died in a road accident on
the A274 at Sutton Valence in August.
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