Rose Marie Bowker ROSE Marie Bowker (76), who lived in Kingswood for 39 years, waswell-known locally as a pri- mary school teacher and deputy head- mistress in Harrietsham as well as for her contribu- tion to village life.
Born Rose
Marie Kent in Hebburn, Tyne and Wear, she was married to university lecturer Bob for 54 years, and mother of one daugh- ter, Anne. She founded and led a hugely successful Neighbour- hoodWatch group. Former clerk to Broomfield
and Kingswood Parish Council, Sue Wotton, said: “Rose Marie and Bob helped to pioneer a helpline by working from Maid- stone police station in the mornings. In terms of her work in Kingswood, she was the driv- ing force behind a very success- ful group, with about 60% of the parish actively involved. A magazine produced by Rose Marie was at the centre of the work they did. “Bob Bowker chaired the parish council for a long time and the pair of them made a massive contribution to local village life.” The current clerk to the coun-
cil, Gail Gosden, said: “Rose Marie was at the centre of com- munity life, she had a real heart for Kingswood and she will be greatly missed.” Bob Bowker said: “RoseMarie
was hugely talented, she taught in every type of educational in- stitution, from primary school to university. Her talents ranged from restoring furniture to mak- ing a big contribution to the British Computer Society schools committee.” Rose Marie leaves her hus-
band and daughter. Andre and Pam
McKnight ANDRE McKnight (82) and his wife Pamela “Pam” (85) lived in Coxheath for around 50 years and both died recently – Pam in May and Andre in September.
We will remember
The couple met when Pam worked for the army and Andre began serving in the area. He was the son of a serving sol- dier who had been born abroad and grown up and joined the Army in Wilt- shire.
Married for 49 years, they
raised children Paul and Lucia. Another son, John, died as a baby. Andre left the army in 1970 and worked as a civil ser- vant until he retired. As the children got older, Pam re- turned to work, taking a job with Cigna Insurance. Daughter Lucia said: “My dad
loved carpentry and making things, he also spent a lot of time gardening. My mother loved animals, was very caring and warm and a strong person. “Both my parents were regu-
lar churchgoers and went to the Holy Family Church in Park Wood and St Francis’ Church onWeek Street. Theywere mar- ried in St Francis’ Church.” Andre and Pam leave their surviving children, grandchil- dren Jade and Jarvis and great- granddaughter Brooke.
Edith Gooding EDITH Gooding (94), who died at the Poplars Nursing Home in Tonbridge Road, Maidstone, founded the first pre-school playgroup in Maidstone in the mid 1960s, at St Luke’s Church Hall. She established a playgroup
in Mangravet and trained other people to be playgroup leaders at the Adult Education Centre. Born Edith Jenner, she was known to friends as “Jen” for many years. Having won a scholarship
from Staplehurst Village School she was educated at Ashford High School, then worked as a companion to help a family with four young boys, travelling with them to Poland for a year. She returned to train as a nan-
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nie at Norland College in Bath. Edith returned to Maidstone to be near her parents when war broke out. She met husband Denys – a senior commercial clerk for local grocer Charles Arkcoll – when she was working for Mid- land Bank in Maidstone. The couple married in 1945, living in Farleigh Lane and Curzon Road, Maidstone. They raised daughters Valerie, Heather and Jackie. She was amember of the local Soroptimists for many years, was on the committee of the local Guide Parents’ Group and of the MGGS PTA, becoming chairman. She had to copewith ill health over many years, in- cluding major surgery on her back in 1993 and a hip replace- ment in 2008. Her eyesight had been poor
since childhood. She loved reading, crosswords and play- ing Scrabble until she lost her sight completely in 2008. Valerie said: “My mother was
very independent, long-suffer- ing and very patient. She loved working with children and it was this that led St Luke’s Church to invite her to start the pre-school playgroup.” After being widowed in
1974, Edith moved to Bristol to help one of her daughters with her family. She returned to Maidstone in 1987, living in Old Church Court and later in Rycault Close, off Ton- bridge Road. Edith leaves her daughters,
three grandchildren and four great-granddaughters.
Esther Taylor ESTHER TAYLOR (81), most re- cently of Mount Lane, Bearsted, and formerly of Harrietsham and Smarts Cottage, Bearsted Green, worked for about 20 years as a teacher of art in Swadelands School, Lenham. Born Esther Hall in Norton, Stockton-on-Tees, she met and married husband of around 25 years, Bill. He became a mature
student at Oxford and was later headmaster at Swadelands and Oldborough Manor (now New Line Learning Academy). The couple raised children Nick, Sarah and Katie. Esther trained as a teacher at Bromley before taking her job at Swadelands. Daughter Sarah said: “My mother and father had a wide range of friends and were well- known within the community.” Widowed in 1985, Esther re-
tired and moved to Bearsted Green, where shemet new part- ner Sandro Braga at Bearsted and Thurnham Bowling Club. Daughter Sarah said: “My mother kept up her interest in art after retiring and knew local artists including Graham Clarke. She remained very in- telligent, very interested in lots of things and easily able to beat others in the family at getting right answers on University Challenge. “She was very inde- pendent and had done some amazing things in her life. “She joined the Land Army in
her youth and travelled to live in Devon. Her university friends included Bob “Digger” Hawke who went on to become prime minister of Australia. She re- mained strong-willed and sharp-minded throughout her life.”
Esther leaves partner Sandro,
her children and granddaugh- ters Jennifer, Emily and Sophie.
Jane Ealding EVELYN “Jane” Ealding (94), of Madginford and formerly of Frittenden, Detling, Loose and Roseacre Lane, Bearsted, ap- peared in the Downs Mail three years ago, celebrat- ing her plat- inum wedding anniversary with husband Arthur in February 2009. Born in Maidstone, she started her working life as a housemaid to the Saville family, near Cranbrook, and met Arthur as she cycled through Fritten- denonher waytoworkwhen she was 16. The couple lived in Fritten-
den and raised children Clive, Carole,Margaret and Chris. Jane worked on local farms doing seasonal work like hop picking. When they moved closer to Maidstone, Jane worked at Fishy Bakers, a chip shop in Gabriel’s Hill on the site of the current Oxfam Bookshop. She went on to work in cater-
ing at Marks and Spencer before retiring aged 60. After retire- ment she looked after grandson Paul, allowing daughter Mar- garet to return to work. Margaret said: “Ourmum was
very caring where friends and family were concerned.Wewill all remember her wicked sense of humour.” Jane leaves her husband, three
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