downsmail.co.uk


before he died. He suffered from deafness and his sightwas going but hewas still very active and joined in numerous family activities. “Normanwas a loving dad, granddad and great-granddad and will be greatly missed by all his family and friends.”


Paddy McAlarey


CHARLES “Paddy” McAlarey (86) spent 35 years in Upper Fant Road, Fant, and the final six years of his life in Hengist Court, Marsham Street, Maidstone. Born in Glasgow,


hewas adopted and moved to Ireland, eventually coming to Maidstone when he joined the Royal Engineers and found himself stationed in the town. He travelled with the army, including time


spent in Egypt, but met and married his wife of 60 years, Elizabeth “Bey.” Paddy decided to leave the army and


raise his family with Bey. Hewas father to Liz, Sean and Kellie. Daughter Kellie said: “My father worked


in London for a while, at the Savoy Hotel but spent a lot of his working life locally including time with Bradford’s fishmongers on Earl Street, Marley at Lenham, Tilling Stevens and the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food when theywere on the Siingbourne Road. “Hewas a sociable man who liked a drink


and a chat with his friends. For a while he was particularly fond of the Admiral Gordon and the Fant Arms pubs. He enjoyed travelling andwent to beer festivals inAustria aswell as enjoying coach trips to go on holiday to Spain. Hewas also a keen follower of snooker tournaments on television.” Paddy leaves his wife, children, grandchildren Lee, Jason, Michael, Sadie, Casey, Charlie and Lucie and six great- grandchildren.


David Ha


DAVID Ha (82), of Park Woodwas an expert on trolley buses and an organiser of the regular toy fairs held in Maidstone’s Agricultural Hall in Lockmeadow. With his good friend Malcolm Coates, Davidwas a driving force in the successful campaign to preserve Maidstone’s last surviving trolley bus. Malcolm and David met by chance at Sandtoft Trolley Bus Museum in Lincolnshire. Their work meant


that the bus – which might otherwise have been scrapped –was eventually restored to full working order and left in the care of the museum. David’s initial intervention had gathered local support to avoid scrapping, but with Malcolm and others his formation of the group The Friends of 72was crucial to


restoring the vehicle, because it led to the raising of £20,000 to achieve that goal. Davidwas nationally known in the field


of restoring old vehicles andwas for many years the treasurer of the Historic Commercial Vehicle Society. In his working life, Davidwas employed as an ambulanceman and also had an interest in old cinema and church organs. Hewas known to travel long distances to hear particular church organs played. David leaves his wife Jill and his brothers


Robert and Richard. Itwas planned to scaer his ashes at the Sandtoft Museum.


Keith Ferrin


KEITH Ferrin MBE, a Conservative member of Kent County Council for 36 years, has died at the age of 71. Mr Ferrin was deputy leader from 1997 to


2001. He was also cabinet member for envi- ronment, highways and waste and sup- porting independence, policy, performance and best value. Paying tribute to Mr


Ferrin, leader of Kent County Council Paul Carter said: “Keith made a massive con- tribution to the run-


ning of KCC over many years, being the architect and instigator of many significant beneficial changes, particularly after the 1997 election when the Conservatives regained control of the authority, being the deputy leader under Lord Sandy Bruce-Lockhart’s leadership. “Keith held many key cabinet posts and


will be particularly remembered for his work in adult social care and the introduction of di- rect payments for clients.” Keith was born and bred in Leicestershire


before attending Leeds University where he met his wife Lynn. He moved to Kent almost 40 years ago when the company he was working for transferred him to the county just a week before his wedding. They have two sons and a granddaughter. Lynn is a localGPwhose surgery is based in Rainham. Keith’s interest in politics began at univer-


sity where he first became a member of the Conservative Party. Over the years he held many offices in the party, spending eight years as a constituency association chairman. Hewas the Kent andMedway area chairman from 2007 until October 2010. In September 2010 he became a member of the Conserva- tive Party’s South East Region Committee. He became a member of Gillingham Bor-


ough Council in 1975.Hewas elected to Kent County Council in 1977 and he was to be- come one of the longest serving members of the council. Over the years he held positions of respon-


sibility in every area of KCC’s activity except planning. He was a member of the gover- nance and audit committee, health overview and scrutiny committee and served as chair- man of the Fire Authority’s policy and per- formance committee. He was also a member of the Community Health Council and Medway District Health Authority.


Throughout this time his main interests and passion were around finance, perform-


ance and innovation. Amongst many other initiatives he was responsible for the devel- opment of Britain’s first scheme for the local financial management of schools almost 30 years ago. In 1988 hewas awarded the MBE for Polit-


ical and Public Service in the Queen's Birth- day Honours.


JeffreyVaughan Martin


JEFFREY Vaughan Martin (78) of Arran Road, Maidstone, has been described by David Picke, president of the Maidstone Choral Union, as “Mr Music of Maidstone”. After moving to the


town in 1968 Jeffrey trained and conducted many of the town's musical institutions and remained a driv- ing force behind local music. He studied maths


and music at the Uni- versity College of


Wales,Aberystwyth and education at Oxford University, going on to win a scholarship to study conducting on the Gulbenkian Con- ducting Course at the Guildhall School of Music. He worked as a music teacher and spent


the final 21 years of his working life as a spe- cialist music inspector in Kent. His local work included founding and di- recting a number of significant musical ven- tures. In 1978 he founded the Kent School Symphonic Wind Band, renamed the Kent YouthWind Orchestra in 1985 after its num- bers grew. Jeffrey set up the Maidstone Youth Music Society, led the Maidstone Choral Union from 1974 to 2008 and set up The Maidstone Singers in 1991. In the final week of his life he was still ac-


tive, working with the West Malling Com- munity Choir. Jeffrey was treasurer of the Methodist


Church on Union Street – a location used as a venue in the Maidstone Jazz Festival, which he helped found and promote. Many of those who worked with Jeffrey


have paid fulsome tributes. MaidstoneWind Symphony’s Facebook page stated: “We join the entire Maidstone music community in mourning the passing of Jeffrey Vaughan Martin. It is difficult to understate Jeffrey's contribution to youth and community music in Maidstone.” Many individuals who knew and worked


with Jeffrey have also paid tributes. Drum Major David Cox of the Royal Air


Force said: “JeffreyVaughan Martin inspired and helped countless young musicians to achieve excellence…many of whom are still involved in music on a professional basis.” Jeffrey leaves his wife of 49 years Jean, chil-


dren Jonathan and Debbie and grandchildren Christopher and Chloe


AnneWas


THE deathwas announced inWales of AnneWas. Annewas known from her work in the Maidstone offices of the Kent Messenger from 1990 to 1994.At the time she lived in Shingle Barn Lane,West Farleigh.


There is no charge for our obituary service. Call Neil Nixon on 01622 630422 or email nlnxn@aol.com Maidstone Town May 2016


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Obituaries


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