Marion Green MARION Green (91) lived for about 40 years in Sutton Va- lence. In the 1970s she be- came gover- norofEast Sutton Park, retiring from the prison service in 1977. This marked the end of a remarkable career. Born Marion Farmery, near


Wakefield in West Yorkshire, Marion followed wartime mu- nitions work with a highly suc- cessful police career, becoming the first female inspector in the Leicestershire and Rutland Constabulary. In 1959 she moved into prison governorship, holding assistant governor posts at Aylesbury Borstal for Girls and HMP Holloway in London, be- fore taking over at East Sutton Park.


Marion married Remy Bar-


cham Green, who ran Hayle Mill in Tovil, becoming step- mother to Sarah and Simon. She took early retirement, but remained hugely active as a member of Sutton Valence Women’s Institute, a regular bowler, an activemember of the Darby and Joan Club and a hugely active member of the congregation of St Peter and St Paul Church; where she also served on the parochial church council.


Daughter-in-law Maureen


said: “She was a quite remark- able woman, very active and committed in everything she did. The family has received lots of messages telling us just how admired and respected she was. She was a well-liked and well-known figure in the local community.” Marion leaves her step-chil-


dren, one granddaughter and many other members of her ex- tended family.


John Bodkin JOHN Bodkin (86), who lived for seven years in Barming and was resident from 1992 in East Farleigh, was a skilled crafts- man and was well-known


We will remember


among the gliding fraternity and fellow members of the Kent Gliding Club, near Char- ing.


John moved locally from Dunstable after a career that saw him working as – among other things – a picture framer, maker of leather handbags and clothing. He travelled as far afield as Hong Kong with his work. After the death of his first


wife, Sylvia, John moved lo- cally and 12 years ago, married Sheila. His friend Brian Tans- ley said: “John was a gentle man who had also been a good photographer.” John leaves his wife Sheila


and will be sadly missed by all who knew him.


Rev Gordon Marsh THE Rev Gordon Marsh (87), who has died in Tenterden, lived andworked inMaidstone 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. He was father to Simon and Richard, tragically 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 a minister and – while living in Romney Marsh – served in a peripatetic role. Jean said: “Gordon loved to


walk in the country and was a very giving person. Our eldest son put in the funeral address that his real vocation lay within the church.” Gordon leaves his wife, eld-


est son and grandchildren Claire, Jonathan and Katharine.


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Bill Tucker BILL Tucker (62) will be re- membered as one of the first joint-managers of Maidstone Invicta (now Maidstone United) after the club reformed following the collapse of the previous Maidstone United outfit. The reformed club joined the


Kent County League. Bill and colleague Jack Whitely man- aged them to the Division Four championship in their first sea- son, alongwithwinsinthe West Kent Challenge Shield and Tunbridge Wells Charity Cup.


League reorganisation placed Maidstone in the second tier the following season, and they won another championship and the Kent Junior Cup, as well as finishing runners up in the West Kent Challenge Shield. During his tenure in the Maidstone dugout, Bill earned five west section manager of the month awards and was manager of the season in 1994/95. In his playing days, Bill was


a free-scoring centre forward with local teams and a hard- working roofer. He went on to work maintaining properties for Richard Ashby. Married for 44 years to Zena, Bill was fa- ther to Sadie, Lorraine, Christo- pher, Valerie and Joanne. Maidstone United’s website includes a tribute from Brian Reynolds who worked with Bill for many years: “Bill was committed and dedicated to Maidstone Invicta, spending many hours on the upkeep of the ground and taking on any task to ensure the smooth run- ning of the team.” Bill’s involvement with Maidstone Invicta was part of a lengthy involvement in local football, during which he scouted for Maidstone United andwas involved with the pre- vious club during the tenure in the Football League. He had spells managing Tunbridge Wells, Chatham Town, Redhill, Canterbury City and local side APM. Bill moved from Newcastle to


Essex when aged 14, and then locally at 16. His post-football hobbies included breeding show canaries including Kent Gloucesters and being a member


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of the Kent Gloucester Society. Originally from Newcastle- upon-Tyne, he moved locally while still at school but contin- ued to support Newcastle United throughout his life. Bill leaves his wife, children,


16 grandchildren and one great- grandchild.


Leo Ludgate LEONARD George “Leo” Ludgate (85) lived in Allington for four years and previ- ously,


in


Barming for 27 years.


Locally


born, he was a distinguished pupil and sportsman at Maidstone Grammar School, winning the school’s victor lu- dorum and earning a place at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied modern lan- guages. He progressed to RAF College Cranwell, where he started a 32-year career in the service, rising to the rank of wing commander and serving in Egypt, Cyprus and Germany. Leo married Jean Hubble – whose family were involved in the Hubble and Freeman busi- ness – and became father to Peter, Simon and Tracy. He returned to work locally, spending 10 years as a local government officer for KCC. After retiring from local gov- ernment he worked forMichael Vaughn’s fireplace business in Maidstone. In 1981 he married Pat, becoming step-father to David and Jenny. Pat said: “Leo had real enthu-


siasm for life and threw himself into everything. Over the years he had been a champion swim- mer, and taken part in other sports like sailing and golf. He became very serious about cy- cling in his sixties. He was also heavily involved


in local masonic activities for 29 years. He always worked hard to excel in everything he did.” Leo leaves Pat, five children,


11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild


Gwen Henthorne GWEN Henthorne (81) lived in Mallings Drive, Bearsted for over 50 years. Born locally as Gwen Ranger,


her former homes included Coxheath andMaidstone. Gwen worked as a shorthand


typist for KCC in the depart- ment dealingwith forestry, and met her husband Geoff, who worked there as a chartered surveyor and valuer. The cou- ple were married for 18 years and had daughter Stephanie. Gwen became a full-time mother but waswidowedwhen Stephanie was a little girl, and returned to work as a dinner lady at Thurnham School, a job she held for over 20 years. Gwen leaves her daughter.


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