Derek Hayes DEREK Hayes (78) lived his whole life in Eccles, only leav- ing for na- tional service with the RAF; where he served as a dog handler. He worked


for Kimberly Clark as a ma- chine opera- tor working in the fluff room where he got his nickname Fluffy. He retired in 1992, aged 58, after 35 years service with Kimberly Clark. Derek wasmarried to Dora for


55 years, and was father to Nigel, Michele andMark. Mark said: “My father was a helpful, honest and hard-work- ing family man. He was really involved with his children, grandchildren and great-grand- children. “In his younger days he en-


joyed playing football for Ec- cles and in the RAF, he was a centre half. He also loved gar- dening, working on his own garden and an allotment at Ec- cles.”


Derek leaves his wife, chil-


dren, grandchildren Kade, Amelia, Dane, Jakob, Jordan andMolly and great-grandchil- dren Summer,Max and Archie.


Tina Ruffle CHRISTINA “Tina” Ruffle (57), of Barming, lived locally for 17 years, after moving to the home where her husband Bob had lived all his life. Born Christina Perryman,


Tina’s previous homes in- cluded Pembury, Lamberhurst, Goudhurst and Hastings. She worked in shops and trained as a nurse before meet- ing Bob. Tina took a degree in nursing and worked in the Maidstone area in a care home before becoming a senior staff nurse at Maidstone Hospital, where she worked until her final illness. Bob Ruffle said: “There was


only one Tina; everyone loved her. She was very cheerful and very popular and managed to keep these qualities into her final illness. She was always strong and positive and was known in her work for the way


We will remember


she was always respectful to her patients. “Quite a few of her colleagues


are devastated; she was known to them as ‘Truffle’ and to some of the younger nurses as ‘Mum’ because they looked up to her.” Christina leaves her husband and her mother.


Chris Austin CHRIS Austin (38), who had lived in Chatham and Rochester for 20 years, was well known throughout the area as singer and guitarist with the acoustic band Tape Error.


Nicknamed “Afro Chris” be-


cause of his hairstyle, he had just signed a record deal that had resulted in the release of the band’s first EP. After feeling ill, Chris was diagnosed with liver cancer. He chose to leave hospital and spend his final hours with family and friends, but died the following day. A page has been established


at sound-cloud.com/chris- austin-rip, which contains his songs, including those hemade busking in a subway at Em- bankment tube station. Chris leaves his mother Bev, brother Tom and sister Theresa.


Rev Gordon Marsh THE Rev Gordon Marsh (87), who died in Tenterden, lived and worked in Maidstone from 1963 until retiring in 1985. He spent part of his boyhood


in Loose, and returned there 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 wasfathertoSimonand Richard, tragically losing his younger son in an accident on HMS Hermes prior to the Falk- landsWar. 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 and was a very giving per- son. Our eldest son put in the funeral address that his real vo- cation lay within the church.” Gordon leaves hiswife, eldest


son and grandchildren Claire, Jonathan and Katharine.


Lewis Langford STRUCTURAL engineer Lewis Langford (91), of Roman Heights, Foley Park, Maid- stone, was known locally as co-founder of Evans and Langford, of King Street, Maidstone. Born, the


son of a miner, in Rawmarsh, Yorkshire, Lewis started his en- gineering training after the war, moving to Stafford and Rye, be- fore settling in Maidstone where he set up his firm. Lewis met co-founder Jack


Evanswhen the pairworked for Mears Brothers, with Jack serv- ing as director and Lewis as chief engineer. Their company was originally located on the Tonbridge Road and moved to its present King Street location in 1969. Lewis worked for the firm until retirement in 1987. A member of Bearsted Golf


Club from 1969, Lewis served as architect on its first major clubhouse, which was demol- ished to make room for the present building. John Evans, son of co-founder


Jack, said: “Lewis was a very fine structural engineer who had an exceptional skill with engineering design andworked to establish the standard that Evans and Langford have main- tained for 50 years.” Married for almost 59 years to


Ruby, Lewis is father to Chris- tine. She said: “My father was a quiet man who enjoyed his golf, holidays in the Yorkshire Dales and a pint of beer. He was hard working and immensely proud


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of the company he and Jack founded. He was a devoted hus- band and wonderful father.” Widowed in 2009, Lewis leaves his daughter.


Bruce Mahoney BRUCE Mahoney (60), who spent his final 30 years in Kingswood and previ- ously lived in Maidstone, ran his own haulage busi- ness and worked as a lorry driver and plant op- erator, most recently in Bor- ough Green. Married for 38 years to Claire, Bruce was father to Christopher. Claire said: “Bruce loved motorbikes, and later cars. He was always working on them and we drove his FordMustang to Italy a few years ago. Recently he owned a Jaguar, a car he’d dreamed of owning for a long time. “We were overwhelmed at


his funeral with the colleagues and friends who turned up, many of whom obviously re- spected Bruce. “He was a devoted family


man who enjoyed eating out and had a really good sense of humour. He liked to discover the footpaths in Kingswood and could be seen walking with his grandson.” Bruce leaves his wife, son and grandson Zac.


Joyce Payne MAIDSTONE Model Engineer- ing Society marked the life of Joyce Payne (90), who died ear- lier this year, with a Bank Holi- day Sunday devoted to coll- ecting fares and donations for the Heart of Kent Hospice. Joyce was the widow of Amos


Payne who was president of the society for many years and a life member of the society herself. She was involved with several charities, including MENCAP, and was a member of the WI. Joycewas born in Stone Street


and moved with Amos to the Shepway Estate. She was widowed in 1997,


and before she died she had moved to northWales where she was cared for by daughter Julia.


Sylvia Howard SYLVIA Howard (80), who has died in Norfolk, lived in Bax- ter’s Cottage, Bearsted, for about 20 years. She moved lo- cally with husband of around 40 years Alf, a commercial artist.


Sylvia and Alf were noted bowlers and members of Bearsted and Thurnham Bowls Club. Theymoved to Norfolk to be near their daughters, but he died soon afterwards. Sylvia leaves her daughters Beverly and Lesley; another daughter; Jo, pre-deceased her. She also leaves grandchildren James, Fred and Daisy.


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