Florence Clark FLORENCE “Flo” Violet May Clark (83) lived in Barming for the final 40 years of her life. Born Florence Wigman in Maidstone, she lived locally her whole life apart from a few years in Burham. Educated at West Borough School, Flo worked at Smed- ley’s cannery plant in Her- mitage Lane. She was mother to Mick, Jackie, and Jenny and, once her childrenwere growing up, she returned to work on local farms, including May’s of Hermitage Lane. She knew that farm well, as


her father had been a stilt man there, working with hops. Flo also did shop work. Daughters Jackie and Jenny


and son Michael said: “Our mother was very loving, warm and always there for us. She would help anyone and always had time for friends and neigh- bours. She loved her cats and dogs and gardening.” Flo leaves her children and grandchildren Kevin, Mark, Shaun, Sarah and Nicola and great-granddaughter Lily.


Pat Corke PAT Corke (97), who died in Wiltshire one day after her 97th birthday, lived in Lower Fant Road, Maidstone for many years. Born Pat Hinson Eldridge in Sheerness, she could remember sheltering during a Zeppelin bombing raid on Sheppey. Pat met husband Bill when


shewas a state registered nurse and hewas an art student. They married in Maidstone in 1940 and had to seek cover in an air raid shelter as the Battle of Britain took place overhead. The couple lived in Bower


Lodge before moving to Big- gleswade, Bedfordshire. They raised children Susan, Robert “Bob”, Elizabeth and William “Bill”, living in Devon and Bradford as Bill’s career took him to the position of principal in two art colleges. Having been involved in a


range of arts, crafts and cookery during her married life, Pat brought these skills back to Maidstone when she and Bill retired to Bower Lodge in the mid-seventies. She was a member of the Maidstone Horticultural Soci-


A MAIDSTONE homes scheme has been included in the UK’s top 50 affordable housing de- velopments. As well as being named in the Inside Housing list, Golding Homes’ project at Armstrong Road was also singled out as one of the top five large devel- opments.


Completed in July 2012, this


£19m development of 131 homes for affordable rent, shared ownership and private


We will remember


ety and very active in All Saints’ Church, Maidstone. Pat was also active in the Conserva- tive Party. Son Bill said: “My mother


was very sociable and got on well with others. Like many of her generation she was a great manager and home-builder, she was great fun.” Pat and Bill moved to Urch-


font in Wiltshire in 2003, Bill died three years later and Pat eventually moved into a care home. She leaves her children, 18 grandchildren and 18 great- grandchildren.


Mike Denness MICHAEL “Mike” Denness, Kent cricket captain from 1972 to 1976, made sporting his- tory in a num- ber of ways. In captain-


ing Kent, he helped the county to six limited over trophies and a runners-up spot in the county championship in five seasons. He earned the title of Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1975, during his captaincy of Kent. When he left Kent for Essex, he helped that county to win the county championship. Scottish-born Denness was


only the second Scotsman to captain the England cricket team and his sporting success led to him becoming one of the first inductees into the Scot- tish Sports Hall of Fame. He went on to become an interna- tional cricket referee. Mike leaves his three chil- dren and partner, Doreen.


Maisie Douglass MAISIE Evelyn Douglass (81) lived for the last 14 years in Kingswood. She ran a fancy goods shop


in Coxheath for 12 years, next door to a DIY store owned and run by her husband, Jim, to whom she was married for 62 years. Born Maisie Baker in Mar-


gate, she moved to the Maid- stone area as a young girl and


met Jim whilst she was work- ing as a secretary to a firm of builders. The couple had two sons, Stuart and Mark, who share the same birthday but were born two years apart. In later years Maisie and Jim moved to Doncaster to run a kennels, returning to live in Kingswood as they neared re- tirement. Maisie had a long involve-


ment with the Maidstone Am- ateur Operatic Society going back to when the society per- formed at the Palace Theatre on the site of the current Robert Dyas shop in Gabriels Hill. She performed many lead


roles and was well known to Maidstone


theatregoers.


Maisie was also a keen breeder of border collies, and one of her dogs won best in class at Crufts. Jim said: “Maisie was fun, happy and easy-going. She re- ally enjoyed her life.” Maisie leaves her husband,


sons and granddaughters, Abby and Fenna.


Joyce Chown JOYCE Chown (97), who has died in Clevedon, Northum- berland, lived in Willington Street, Maidstone, from 1947 to 1980 and Roseacre Lane, Bearsted until 1990. Born Joyce Fullager in Folke-


stone, she studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and met husband Angus at a dance at Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone. They married in 1938. During the war, Joyce raised children Christabel, Robert, and Sarah in Northampton, Angus’s home town. Locally, Angus worked as a town plan- ner for KCC and Joyce ap- peared in plays for the Deanery Players. Sarah said: “My parents will


be remembered for years of in- volvement with St John’s Church, Willington, and St Nicholas’ Church, Otham. There is a wooden statue of St Nicholas, carved by my father, in St Nicholas’ Church. “My mother was a life-long member of the Mothers Union


Affordable homes site selected for top 50 list


sale were built on a former council depot and park and ride site.


Golding Homes’ director of development and regeneration Chris Blundell said: “The brief for this scheme, which is part of


Maidstone’s Growth Point pro- gramme,was for amodern style of architecture and we believe this has been delivered. This is a contemporary development, providing high quality housing for local people, and we are re- ally proud to have made the top 50. PCKO were appointed as ar- chitects and on the strength of their designs for Armstrong Road we selected them to de- sign the larger Wallis Fields re- generation scheme.”


and supported world peace through her work for Moral Re-Armament (MRA). She made many generous contri- butions to a range of chari- ties.”


Joyce, who was widowed in


2004, leaves her children, seven grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. A memorial service for both


Joyce and Angus will be held at St Nicholas’ Church, Otham, at 2pm on Sunday, June 23, followed by tea in the church, or outside if the weather is fine. Please phone 0208 255 1862 if you wish to attend.


Joan and Grahame Brownless A DOUBLE funeral was held for Joan Brownless (93) and her son Grahame (65), who died within five days of each other. Grahame


(left) had been living in his mother’ s home in Broadoak Av- enue, Maid- stone. His mother,


who was for- merly a resident at the property, died at the LooseValley Nursing Home. Joan was born in Gravesend


and had served in the war with the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. Shemoved to Maidstone with husband, Gordon, in 1951. She lost her husband in 1971. She was a member of the Townswomen’s Guild and the Trefoil Guild. She had also done a lot of


local voluntarywork, including involvement with local meals on wheels, prison visiting and the Citizen’s Advice Bureau. Along with her son, she was a member of the Valley Conser- vation Society, based in Loose. She was mother to Grahame, Jeffrey and Joanne. Grahame attended Maidstone Grammar School and followed a career in accountancy in Lon- don, before returning to full- time studytoearnanMBA degree. He suffered a heart attack at


the age of 40 and at the time of his death was on the waiting list for heart valve replacement surgery.


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