downsmail.co.uk Claude Greenstreet


CLAUDE Greenstreet (99) lived for 70 years on the Mote Park estate and died a few months short of his 100th birthday and 70th wedding anniversary. Claude moved locally as a teenager and


showed engineering skill from his early years by building a factory from Meccano. He studied engineering whilst serving in the Royal Navy, servicingwar planes and seeingwar service on two different aircraft carriers.


Returning to Maidstone after de-mob, Claude spent most of his working life with Len Cabinet Makers. He faced redundancy when the company closed, but found work with Ozonaire engineering materials for aircraft. Claudewas married for 69 years to Irene


and father to Carol and Michael. Carol said: “My fatherwas always busy. He drove until hewas 93 and last dug over his whole garden when hewas 97. “He grew all kinds of vegetables and that


may have helped him live to be 99. He supplied lots of the neighbours and our family with firewood, taking the spare offcuts from Len Cabinet Makers home on his bike. “He will be remembered as a live-wire


who always had something to say and a person who could have a laugh with anybody. When hewas asked what medication hewas on he’d usually say ‘I take an Aspirin if I have a headache but that’s it.’ He helped out lots of people in his life.”


Claude leaves his wife and his daughter. His son pre-deceased him.


Ray Edwards THE death has been announced of Ray Edwards (66), who lived in Leybourne for 32 years andwas known for his 25-year involvement with the Kent Messenger newspaper group. Raywas most recently a local corre- spondent for Leybourne andWest Malling. His previous work for the group included contributions for its What’s On section. Born inWandsworth, Ray moved to


Welling as a boy and suffered with TB, which left him in hospital for two years.At 15, he became a messenger boy for the London based Extel operation butwas soon invited to join their sports department, distributing information to being offices up and down the UK and aending many sporting events. He also met the Queen Mother on one occasion. Ray joined the Kent Messenger as a typeseer but his knowledge of sports and his other skills soon won him work as a journalist. Ray leaves sisters Debbie and Jean and brother David.


Rt Reverend Richard Third


THE Right Reverend Richard Third (89) served as Bishop of Maidstone from 1976 to 1980. He had a lengthy career within the Church of England that also saw him serve as vicar of Sheerness from 1959 to 1967 and vicar of Orpington.


Known to many as “Dick”, the married


father of two retired to Somerset but kept on working within the diocese of Bath and Wells, where he ministered as an assistant bishop. The Diocese of Canterbury praised the Rt


Rev Third as a man who “although small of stature had a big heart” and noted the “care and sensitivity” that marked his ministry. Amongst a range of roles the former


bishop carried out within the church, he served as chaplain to the Queen Mother in her role as LordWarden of the Cinque Ports. It has been reported that when he told the Queen Mother of his intention to stand down from this role she told him that if she could continue working at her age, then so could he. After this, Rt Rev Third did decide to continue. He as an alumnus of Cambridge


University and Lincoln Theological College and a former cox of the Cambridge Rowing Team. His funeral took place in Edinburgh.


Nigel Knights


THE search for Nigel Knights (63)was widely reported before the grandfather’s bodywas found in the River Medway in Strood.


Nigel worked at Holmesdale School and at the Barnardo’s charity shop in Maid- stone. Hewas reported missing after being seenwalking near the river nine days before his bodywas found. AFacebook


community called Findnigelknightswas established to help in the search and after the bodywas discovered a message on the page stated: “The family of Nigel Knights wish to thank you all for every bit of support and help you've given them in the last 9 days…we hope you can respect our request for privacy at this upseing time.” Nigel, who lived in Lanzarote, leaves his wife Sue, children and grandchildren.


KatieWhistler KATIE Whistler (26), of Maidstone, collapased and died suddenly at home in front of her boyfriend after feeling unwell. Tributes have been paid to the colourful character dubbed “crazy” by boyfriend Chris Dredge. Katie was known as Pinky because of her pink hair. She and Chris lived on the Tonbridge Road and Katie had worked for four years as a care assistant and a chef at


Eastfield Care Home. Katie’s friends and family packed her funeral service at Vinters Park Crematorium on April 20 and tributes praised her love of life and creative spirit. Katie studied animal care at Hadlow College andwas a volunteer at Smarden’s Big Cat Sanctuary. Katie leaves partner Chris, parents Rachel


and Mark and siblings Simon, Hilary and Charloe. Donations can be made in her name to the Neuro Foundation at tinyurl.com/KWhistler, a cause relevant to Katie, who suffered from neurofibromatosis.


John Steer


JOHN Steer (80), who lived in Tovil and Fant, will be remembered as a keen sportsman and the first secretary of Lashings Cricket Club.


He showed exceptional talent in cricket, football and cycling. His only lengthy period away from Maidstone came with RAF service that took him all over the UKand Europe. John returned to work at Sharp’s sweet factory


on St Peter’s Street. He aended Lashings’ first match in 1984,


an ignominious defeat when the teamwere bowled out for 29 after agreeing the fixture the previous night. John kept faith in the club and saw them improve. Lashings’website notes: “John watched as Lashings grew from a hapless pub team into a world XI and amongst his many claims to fame is that he taught chairman David Folb how to bat in the nets at Vinters Park.”


Jackie Read


FORMER Maidstone resident Jackie Read (54)was killed in a skiing accident in Flaine, France, where she had worked for two years. She suffered fatal injuries when shewas


hit by a snow-boarder. Jackie’s partner Barry Philpo – whowas


due to marry her inAustralia in September – has spoken of the loss of his “soul-mate”. The couple lived on Sheppey before moving to Flaine to manage catered chalets on behalf of the Ski Club of Great Britain. Originally from Yorkshire, Jackie met Barry in Tenerife. They had been together for 15 years. Jackie leaves Barry, her five children and


one grandchild. Her funeral took place at Vinters Park crematorium.


Tony Hyde


PC Tony Hyde (64) covered the Farleighs when Kent Police allocated policemen to the rural parishes andwas very popular. After retirement, he moved abroad and


was subsequently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by wife Jackie, daughter Charloe, mother Joan and sister Joanne.


The Stone Shop


Memorials. Any natural stone supplied, lettered and installed anywhere.


Inscriptions added to existing memorials


Renovations and memorial cleaning


The Stone Shop Station Hill, East Farleigh, Kent.


01622 726633 There is no charge for our obituary service. Call Neil Nixon on 01622 630422 or email nlnxn@aol.com 42 Maidstone East June 2016


Obituaries


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