downsmail.co.uk Olive King


OLIVE Kathleen King (90) lived locally from 1952 spending 40 years on South Street, Barming and then moving to Allington.


She worked on local


farms and onWeek Street. Born Olive Bowley in Dover she was raisedin that area beforewar service in the WRNS took her to Suon in Surrey and to Portsmouth. Her work taking telegraph messages to ships led


to her meeting her husband Bob. The couplewere married for 46 years, raising daughters Trisha and Jennie. Trisha said: “My mother worked on Croucher’s farms sorting apples and later in Hilton’s shoe shop onWeek Street. She lovedwalking with my father. People will remember her as fun-loving and amiable. Her family will remember her as a loving mother and grandmother.” Olivewas widowed in 1997 and subsequently spent a lot of time with her widowed sister, Joyce. Olive leaves her daughters, grandsons Steve and Mike, granddaughters Hollie and Rosie and has one great-granddaughter on the way.


Don Nichols


MEMBERS of East Farleigh parish church are mourning the death of Don Nichols (90) on Good Friday, two days after joining his wife Doreen in a nursing home. A talented gardener and prize-winning


orchid grower hewas generous to the church in supplying flowers for the bigger festivals. He would regularly be seen cuing grass and tending to the large churchyard with its splendid views over the Medway. Don and Doreen always ran a stall at coffee mornings etc.


Brenda Day


BRENDA DAY (100), of East Farleigh, was born Brenda Body, into a local farming family in Biddenden. After studying at Goudhurst Ladies College, she became a nanny andwent on towar service with theWAAF, as a ploer in the operations rooms at RAF Fighter Command in Stanmore. Her duties included ploing the route of the plane taken by Hitler’s deputy, Rudolf Hess, as he flew to Scotland on a secret and


unsuccessful mission to negotiate peace with Britain. Brenda married Roland Day in 1942. Her husbandwas also from a Kent farming family. They seled down after thewar, forming Elphicks Farm in Hunton, farming hops, fruit and livestock. The couple raised children Robert, Simon and Diana. Brenda took up bowls in later life, going


on to compete at county standard. She and Roland retired toWest Farleigh


20 years ago. Brendawas widowed in 2011 and lived independently until a few days before her death.A thanksgiving service for Brenda’s life drew over 100 people to Vinters Crematorium.


Jean Brownlow


JEAN Brownlow (78) lived locally her whole life, most recently on CollegeWalk, andwas a champion ladies darts player. Born Jean Beautridge in Maidstone she aended Vinters School and began work for Printway on the site now occupied by Clark’s furniture store. Jeanwas also a member of the Territorial Army for a number of years. She met and married Colin Brownlow and raised children David, Angie and Debbie and worked for many years on Alan Firmin’s farms. Jeanwas a local singles darts champion


and a newspaper dubbed her “The Queen of the Arrows”. Debbie said: “My motherwas very sociable, open-minded and friendly. She and my father were married for over 50 years. Shewas a loving mother and grandmother.” Jean – whowas widowed around five


years ago – leaves her children and grandchildren Keaton, Rebecca and Alex.


Norman Butcher


THE death has been announced of Norman Edward Butcher, who died in Edinburgh, a week before his 89th birthday. The former Maidstone Grammar School


pupil was a noted academic. He studied geology and lectured and tutored at Reading University and The Open University.


John Meacham


THE death has been announced of John Meacham, formerly vicar of Brenchley. Born in Plymouth in 1924, John sawwar service as a glider pilot and trained with the Parachute Regiment ahead of the Bale


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36 Maidstone June 2017


of Arnhem in 1944. He worked in the Palestinian police service after thewar and was promoted to sergeant (becoming the youngest serving officer of that rank). He was ordained into holy orders in 1953 and married Joy in 1955. The couple lived in Croydon and moved


to a post in Siingbourne in 1958. John and Joy raised sons Tim, Andrew


and David. He served as vicar of Brenchley from 1974 to 1983 and also taught at TunbridgeWells Girls’ Grammar. Joy Meacham founded Roundabout – a village magazine which is published. The family moved from the local area in 1984 and Johnwent on to take a masters’ degree in Philosophy from the Open University. In retirement John and Joy seled in


Walmer where, after being diagnosed with Alzheimers, John spent his final years in a care home.


Rosalind Sawyer


ROSALIND Sawyer (84) lived in the Allington area all her life. Shewas born and raised in GraceAvenue


and after marrying her husband Roy in 1956 – she moved to AllingtonWay, where she lived for 60 years. Born Rosalind Hammond, shewent to


East Borough Primary School and Maidstone Technical School for Girls and began work as a shorthand typist for G B Arnold in the town, later working for The Regent Oil Company in Aylesford. Rosalindwas mother to Richard and John. Richard said:


“My motherwas very skilled at kniing and sewing; she made clothes for the family and studied some particular skills in this area; like sewing pockets. Her work was valued by all of us, including her grandchildren.” Later in life Rosalind discovered a love


for travel and her son John would take her and Roy abroad. Rosalind also loved gardening and trips into town, where she had a whole network of friends. She knew everyone from bus drivers to the regulars she met at the United Reformed Church in Week Street. Shewas very interested in local history


andwas a valued member of The Aylesford Historical Society. Rosalind – whowas widowed nine years


ago – leaves her sons and grandchildren William, George, Emma and Charloe.


Keith Solly


KEITH Solly (65) died suddenly whilst outwalking near East Peckham. Keithwas detained indefinitely in the Trevor Gibbens Unit after an incident in which he fatally throled his partner, Yvonne Tapp, in their flat on Lady’s Gift Road, Southborough, and then declared he was a woman. Hewas acquied of murder on mental


health grounds in 2015 and had been in the unit ever since. In his working life, Keith had been a bus driver based in Sevenoaks.


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Obituaries


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