downsmail.co.uk Rt Reverend Richard Third Harry ‘Obie’ Makepeace


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.


Barry Clarke


BARRY GeorgeWilliam Clarke BEM (80) lived in Barming from 1973 and first moved to the Maidstone area when he joined the Royal Engineers in 1951. Born in Flore, Northamptonshire, Barrywas the son of a serving officer in the Royal Horse Artillery. His army career took him to places including Germany, British Honduras (now Belize) and Christmas Island and also into the Suez campaign of 1956. Whilst serving in British Honduras in


1961, Barrywas involved in coping with the effects of the six-day Hurricane Haie; a storm which left 400 dead and widespread devastation. His work earned him the British Empire Medal for outstanding services. On leaving the army in 1974, Barrywent


in to marine insurance surveying, founding his own business, BCS, in Sheerness Barrywas married to Noreen for 56 years


and father to Melanie and Simon. Simon, who runs Revolution Hairdressing


in Vinters Park, said: “My father’s essence was his ability to make people laugh and share his smile. He’d come into my salon and just start talking to customers. He got on with anyone and his qualities to make people laugh and smilewere shared with his family, including his grandchildren. “Loads of my customers have sent cards


after his death, which is a measure of how many people knew and liked him. He left the forces as an RSMWarrant Officer, but was often invited to events in the officers’ mess because many higher ranks involved him all the time in what theywere doing. “As a child, my friends included the children of high-ranking officers; not a usual situation for children of lower ranking officers.” Barry leaves his wife, children and grandchildren Connor and Isla.


THE funeral of Harry “Obie” Makepeace (58), of Courtenay Road, Maidstone made local news.


Horse-drawn carriages and a refuse lorry adorned with flowers all joined the procession to St Martin’s Church in Shepway in tribute to the refuse collector who had worked in Maidstone for 42 years.


Harry began work


for Maidstone Borough Council at the age of 16 and continued in refuse collection when Biffa


took over the work some years later. Harrywas known as a fundraiser for the


Air Ambulance Trust, regularly raising sums of £1,000.At Christmas, he would dress as Father Christmas and stand by his makeshift groo collecting cash and giving sweets to children. Hewas especially motivated to help the charity after the air ambulancewas summoned to the premature birth of his granddaughter Bethany. Harry’s dustbin rounds started in Tovil,


but over the years he collected bins in an area encompassing Nelestead, Coxheath, Yalding and Marden. Originally from London, Harry moved to Maidstone as a teenager andwas stuck with the nickname Obie, whichwas coined by his brother. Harrywas married to his childhood


sweetheart Linda. He leaves his wife, four brothers, two sisters, six sons, seven grandchildren, four step-grandchildren and a great grandson.


JoyceWickwar


THE death has been announced of Joyce EdithWickwar (87). Born Joyce Haisman shewas in charge of the cooking at St James the Great C of E Infant School in East Malling for many years. Joyce, who made her home in East Malling,was married to John andwas a mother and grandmother. More recently, she lived at Cedardale Residential Home on Queens Road, Maidstone. Widowed 30 years ago, Joyce leaves her family.


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.


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.


Dave Sargeant


MAIDSTONE Borough Councillor Dave Sargeant (77) has died suddenly at Maidstone Hospital. The UKIP member ofWestmoreland


Road, Shepway,was awell-liked and admired man, not least by council colleagues. FranWilson, leader of the borough council, said: “Cllr Sargeantwas passionate about the people and communities he represented andwas a hard-working and enthusiastic member of the council.” Fellow UKIP councillor Eddie Powell


said: “Hewas a quite amazing person. Iwas blown away by the number of people whose lives he touched.” Cllr Sargeantwas elected in May 2014 to


the council as one of two members for Shepway south and served diligently on several commiees. It is understood in Maidstone political


circles that hewas considering contesting a local division of Kent County Council at the KCC elections next year. Yorkshire-born Cllr Sargeant had the distinction of being the first-ever UKIP member of the borough council andwas also the leader of the UKIP group. Hewas a fine footballer and cricketer in


his youth. He played for Sheffield Wednesday’s junior team and represented Yorkshire cricket at youth level. Cllr Sargeantwas a member of the Vine Church in Maidstone, known for greeting worshippers at the door and for his good singing voice. Family, local politics, UKIP activities and


the church took up a lot of his spare time, but he also had passions for photography, birdwatching and writing poetry. He is survived by his wife June, daughters


Ruth and Heather and his grandchildren Megan and James.


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 32 Malling June 2016


Obituaries


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