downsmail.co.uk PatWilson


PATWilson (97) made a massive contribu- tion to local life with her tireless campaign- ing for local footpaths over 50 years. The work started when a path near Scratch Arse Corner, Meopham, was blocked in 1961 and ended with Pat serving as national vice-president of the Open Spaces Society. Born in Bristol,


Pat’s life included a trip to Berlin during the 1936 Olympics


and three years living in a timber camp in British Honduras. Pat’s campaigning for footpaths came


after lobbying Parliament on another matter, making safety glass mandatory in cars, after her elder daughter came close to death in a car accident. Kate Ashbrook, general secretary of the


Open Spaces Society said: “Pat was a legend but also a realist. She was feisty and determined and tirelessly hard- working to the very end.” Pat was also notable for her willingness to embrace and effectively use new information technology up to the end of her life. Pat, who lived in the Medway area and


was widowed, leaves daughters Hilary and Jo and granddaughters Emma and Laura.


George Bernard Smith


GEORGE Bernard Smith (81), ofWest Kingsdown,was the founder of the Manor Heating Company, a Maidstone based business that installed heating systems and provided plumbing services, from the mid- 1960s to the late 1980s. Born and raised in south east London, George completed his National Service in


North Africa before returning to work. With wife Irene, he raised children Gillian, Ian and Graham. Having founded his business in 1965,


with Irene as his secretary, he worked across Kent, establishing a reputation for quality, reliability and value for money, with clients including the gas board and local councils. George’s family lived in the home he built after buying land inWest Kingsdown. Son Graham said:


“My father loved shooting, and was a member of the Bearsted and Thurnham Rifle and Pistol Club. He had a passion for


knowledge aboutWorldWar II, in which he lost an elder brother, and read many books on the subject. “He will be remembered as someone


who spoke his mind, was known for straight talking and was relied on when people wanted a job done well. He was also a keen golfer who played at Sittingbourne and a Freemason of many years’ standing who had been granted the freedom of the City of London.” George leaves Irene, his three children and seven grandchildren.


John Hodges JOHN Hodges (88) lived locally during and aerWorldWar II before embarking on a career in high-end engineering. Hewas extremely lucky during the war, returning home one day to get an aircra identification book, which meant he arrived later than usual forwork as a li boy at GH Leavey department store in Mill Street, Maidstone. The shop had been bombed and Johnwould have been inside


had he arrived, as usual, before 9am. Born in Canada, John and his family returned to Kent and, for a time, lived in Church Street, Tovil. John’swarwork included serving in the Air Training Corps and running messages for the civil defence section. He returned to Canada and joined the


Royal Canadian Air Force, but the war ended before he could see active service. Johnworked for Tilling-Stevens in Maidstone, where he served an apprenticeship, and got involved in racing motorcycles and cars. He moved to Birmingham where he


loved his dream job,working on the Austin Healy 100S, a car which broke theworld speed record. John later moved into engine testing for rockets, includingwork on the Blue Steel nuclear missile and Black Knight space rocket.


Geoffrey Sidaway


ARCHDEACON Geoffrey Sidaway (71) spent a career in holy orders, becoming Archdeacon of Gloucester in 2000, but never lost his passion for working as a parish priest. His contribution to


local life was immense, serving at St Martins Church, Shepway from 1977 to 1986, and, until


2000, at Holy Cross Church in Bearsted. He was central to forging links between local churches of every denomination and finding ways to reach out into the local community. The visit of the then Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, to Bearsted was one notable event organised by Geoffrey. He was made an Honorary Canon of Canterbury in 1994. Born in Barrow-in-Furness, he followed


Serving the local community since 1985


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his calling into the church from school and served in Derbyshire before coming to Kent. Married for 44 years to Margaret, Geoffrey was father to Mark, Clare and Paul.


Daughter Clare said: “My father remained a parish priest at heart and when he retired as Archdeacon in 2012 he went back to serving local parishes. He loved people, whether it was preaching to thousands or chatting with parents at a toddler group. “His legacy in Bearsted continues in the coming together of different denominational churches and in the many memories people hold. His fundraising for the Holy Cross Church extension included an infamous hot air balloon ride from the village green that landed in a traveller’s field in Medway where he had


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Obituaries


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