downsmail.co.uk JohnWare


JOHNWare (68)was Kentish through and through, born inAllington a�ending Brunswick House Primary and Maidstone Grammar Schools. He trained as a


building surveyor at Mid Kent College Horsted, and graduatedwith his CIOB in 1974. He started his


careerwith Croudace Builders,


moving on to Finnegan’s and, for the last 30 years, Coombs of Canterbury. Hewas involved inmany projects formajor parties in the South East including Benenden Hospital, Kent County Council and the National Trust. Hewas honoured before his retirement


in 2015 by beingmade chairman of the Chartered Institute of Builders. He belonged to the ScoutAssociation


for over 30 years, and helped to found the HamletWood District Campsite in 1965. He helped establish The Kits Coty


Morris dancers,who have been entertaining the people ofMaidstone since the Queen’s Jubilee in 1977. He livedwith his firstwife Joy in


Allington until her death in the 1990s. He later remarried,moving to Ulcombewith wife Leila. Hewas a valued basswith the East


Malling Singers, part of the village hall commi�ee, performedwith the Ulcombe DramaticAmateurs Society,was membership secretary of the village History Society, and commi�eemember of Friends ofAll Saints’ Ulcombe. He is survived by Leila, step-children


Jeremy, Frazer and Rachel, and step- grandchildren Sam, Josie, Rosie, Isaac and Lulu.


Mike Oliver


MICHAEL James “Mike” Oliver (74), who spent his life living in theMedway townswas theworld’s first professor of Disability Studies.


Hewas appointed by the University of


Greenwich, andmade amajor contribution nationally and internationally to broadening understanding of disability issues and improving the life of peoplewith a range of disabilities. HisWikipedia


page describes him as a disability advocate and obituaries have appeared in a range of national publications and


broadcast outlets. Born in Chathamand educated at


RochesterMaths School,Mike began work as an office clerk, but an accident inwhich he broke his neck after diving into a swimming pool left himusing a wheelchair. Hewas offered a teaching position


with young offenders at Borstal Prison, a position that proved the start of a significant academic career.Mike worked hisway to a PhD and focused on sociology as hismain discipline. Hismanywri�enworks include


ground-breaking titles on the politics of disability andworks exploring the understanding of disability issues. Mikewasmarried twice andwas father


to Eleanor andWilliam.HiswidowJoy said: “Mikewas very down to earth and straightwith people. Hewaswell-loved and enjoyed holding big parties. “Heworked all over theworld and


pushed forward the understanding of all the issues related to disability but hewas also a very loving familyman.” An obituary in Unitemagazine said he


“promoted the concept of ‘the social model of disability’,which said the need to remove barriers for disabled people to engagewith society is not an individual responsibility, but a societal one’.” Mike leaves hiswife, children and grandchildren Georgina andAlice.


Jean Firmager THE death has been reported in Rangiora, NewZealand, of Jean


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36 Maidstone June 2019


Firmager (72). Jean,whowas reported to have died


after a short illness, formerly lived in Staplehurst and a death announcement stated she died after “a sudden decline in health.” Jeanwasmarried to Gordon,who died


before her. She leaves children Carol, Michael, Sue and Samand grandchildren Jessica, Geoff, Steven and Janelle and great-grandchild Rosabellawho is expecting Jean’s first great-great grandchild.


Frank Burniston


FRANK Burniston, of Hollingbourne, was a former long-serving chairman of the Leeds and Hollingbourne branch of the Royal British Legion. Frank had a distinguished RAF career, which included service at Detling andwork as a motorcycle despatch rider – a skill he took into one of the businesses he ran in civilian life; a courier business. TheHollingbourne


parishwebsite reported: “Frank


once said that his busiest periodwas in the aftermath of theHerald of Free Enterprise disaster in 1987when, in pre-internet days, lots ofmedia companies needed films and pictures of the event to be couriered back to their studios.” Alongwith hiswife, Jill, Frank ran a


fewlocal shops at different times. He operated Hollingbourne’s village shop fromthe Old China Shop in Eyhorne Street. The couple subsequently ran a greengrocery business in the Hollingbourne Station Yard. In his later years Frankworked locally


as a gardener. His homes locally included Culpeper Close and –most recently – a house at the end of the Pilgrim’sWay in Upper Street, Hollingbourne. His local involvementwith the Royal


British Legion included participating in three charity bicycle rides for the charity fromLondon to Paris. Frank leaves hiswidow, several children and grandchildren.


Anne Clinch THE death has been reported in Newcastle Upon Tyne ofAnne Clinch, formerly of Leeds. Annewas amember of the choir and


congregation of St Nicholas Church, Otham. Shewasmarried to the late James


Clinch,mother to Kate, Chris and Lucy and a grandmother to Emma and Hannah.


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