Christopher Goodall CHRISTOPHER Goodall (96) lived locally from the late 1950s, and was resident in Boughton Monchelsea from 1966 until moving to GavinAstor House, in the Royal British Legion Village in 2009. Born and raised in Berkshire,


he served in the Ordnance Corps in WWII, and was taken prisoner by the Japanese at the fall of Singapore, going on to become one of the workforce building the Burma railway. Married for 66 years to Han-


nah, Christopher was father to Clive, Julia, Hilary, Christopher andMontague. He followed a career in retail, working for the David Greig chain of grocers as a training manager, based at Rumwood Court, Langley. He went on to regional management, opening the company’s first supermar- ket in Slough, and was eventu- ally poached to work for the (then) upcoming Tesco chain. Son Montague said: “My fa-


ther had a real gift for his work and could see how displays and organisation worked to make a difference to business performance. “He kept on working past the


usual retirement age. My father came from a family of nine, and was really happy when his grandchildren visited and played in his back garden in Boughton Monchelsea. He and my mother loved travelling, but he found a lot of his passion in life through his work, so he didn’t have hobbies.” Christopher – who was wid-


owed in 2002 – lost son Clive to meningitis when he was very young. Son Christopher also pre-deceased him. He leaves his three surviving children, nine grandchildren, 19 great- grandchildren and two great- great-grandchildren.


Jagtar Singh Claire JAGTAR Singh Claire (79) lived the final 25 years of his life in Vinters Park, and had lived locally since 1969.


Originally


from India, he moved to Coventry, where he worked in a foundry, and Slough before set- tling in the Fant area. He worked as a printer, but with the trade declining he decided to take on a former Co-op shop in Upper Fant Road, which he ran as Prices Supermarket from 1977 until 2002, when he sold to Spar. He became known as “Big


Jack” and worked with his fam- ily, including wife Harbhajan.


36 Town Serving the local community since 1985


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For expert advice please contact a member of our team. We are here for you 24 hours a day, for whenever you need us.


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Jagtar, and his business made the headlines when he tackled robbers who were armed with knives by grabbing a large piece of timber from the back of his shop, chasing them out and helping to ensure their arrest. Jagtar was father to Jagmail


and Balraj. Son Jagmail said: “My father could be really out- going and he got on well with people. He was from a farming community and he liked Maid- stone because of the country- side and the fruit farms. He enjoyed going to Maidstone Mela and liked cars. “When the business pros-


pered he bought a new Jaguar Sovereign and still had it when he died, over 20 years later. He also enjoyed reading poetry.” Jagtar leaves his wife, chil-


dren and grandchildren Amardeep, Sandeep, Oliver and Jack.


Rev Gordon Marsh THE Reverend Gordon Marsh (87), who has died in Tenter- den, lived and worked in Maid- stone from 1963 until retiring in 1985. He spent part of his boyhood


in Loose, and returned there to live with Jean, his wife of 59 years, after he had served in the Navy during the war. Gordon rose through the


ranks at KCC, serving as a counter clerk and dealing with a range of issues brought in by the general public. He was fa- ther to Simon and Richard, trag- ically losing his younger son in an accident on HMS Hermes just prior to the FalklandsWar. On retirement in 1985, Gor-


don followed a personal calling to take holy orders. He had served for many years at All Saints’ Church,Maidstone, in a range of roles including lay reader and sidesman. He be- came aminister and –while liv- ing in Romney Marsh – served in a peripatetic role throughout his local area. Jean Marsh said: “Gordon


loved wildlife and being in the countryside. He loved to walk in the country and was a very


giving person. Our eldest son put in the funeral address that Gordon’s real vocation lay within the church.” Gordon leaves hiswife, eldest


son and grandchildren Claire, Jonathan and Katharine.


Alf Wood ALF Wood (88) lived locally from his boyhood after his fam- ily moved from London when they were bombed outoftheir home in the war. He lived in


Park Wood from 1989 untilhemoved intoacare home, and previously lived in Maidstone. An Eastender by birth, Alf was a messenger boy in the war, going on to join the Army and the merchant navy. He travelled as far as Australia and South Africa before settling locallywithwifeofover30 years, Nelly. Alf worked for BT installing phones. His niece Sue said: “Alf was


the loveliest and most gentle man. He was a self-taught mu- sician who played mouth organ, piano accordion and organ. He would bring a portable organ to family parties and people would join in with the old London songs. “He had performed in a jazz-


style band in London when he was a young man. Alf was de- voted to Nelly and looked after her. After she died he would do anything for neighbours and was always helping out and thinking of other people.” Alf – who was widowed 25


years ago – leaves four surviv- ing sisters.


Robert Swan ROBERT David Swan (88) who lived for over 60 years in Shep- way, spent years working lo- cally for the GPO, starting on groundwork gangs erecting tele- graph poles and rising to be- come area supervisor. Born and raised in Maid-


stone, he began working as a floor moulder as a boy. He served in Burma during the war, seeing some of the fiercest ground fighting and earning the Burma Star. He had been trans- ferred to the Army after enlist- ing in the Navy, and served 61 days in that service. He returned locally to marry Marjorie and become father to Robert and Lynda. Daughter Lynda said: “My father loved playing snooker, especially at the Working Men’s Club on Brewer Street, and was an ac- tive member of a local fishing club. He enjoyed freshwater fishing all round the area. He could be funny and make oth- ers laugh, once they saw his way of looking at things. He was a loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather.” Robert was widowed and had


also lost son Robert, aged 21, in an accident. He leaves his daughter, grandchildren Matt, Ben and Steve, and great-grand- children Joby, Katie, Will, Jacob, Nathaniel, Jayden and Luke.


Peter Milton PETER RobertMilton (89), who lived in Bower Lane from 1965, was known locally from many years of running his own engrav- ing business in St Faith’s Street. As a master engraver, his work had included engraving the carousel which decorated the christening cake for Prince Charles andWimbledon tennis trophies. Married for 60 years to Mil-


dred, Peter worked at his busi- ness with his wife. Peter was also known from his years of playing cricket forMaidstone. Originally from Colchester,


he had also lived in Canterbury and seen war service as a navi- gator on bombers, including Liberators. Hiswar service took him to the Middle East and he also flew from the UK. Nephew Brian Milton said:


“My uncle was a good, honest man who would do anything for anyone. After losing my aunt in 2008 he mastered the use of computers, he learned to use a laptop at the age of 86 and was soon sending emails from


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