Obituaries 2010

Obituaries
People Remembered 2010
Obituaries Index │ Fallen Heroes

Don Parker 1925-2010
Donald Edward Parker was born in Oakley in 1925. He loved adventure and as a small boy used to ride horses across the local grass paddocks. Sport in general and football in particular was his great passion. One of his greatest achievements was playing football at the home of Colchester United. During the war years Don was too young to be 'called up' so he had to make do with being a member of the Home Guard. During this time he worked in Bedford at Allens. For most of his life he worked at Unilever and this is where he found his true passion of golf, including his several "holes in one" in his later years. He was also a member of Felmersham cricket club during the 60s and 70s.		Don married his wife Joyce in Felmersham church in October 1953 and had 2 children Judith & Ian, 2 grand children and 4 great grand children. Everyone will remember Don as someone who was willing to stop and have a chat when walking his beloved dogs. More recently he loved playing with his great grandkids, for him their exuberance was a joy. He will be greatly missed by all that knew him. Michael Hunt

Doris M Aitken 1919 - 2010
Doris was born on the 14th July 1919 and brought up with her older sister, Freda, in the village of Dunton, Bedfordshire with parents, Sis and Jack Chessum. When she was 7 years old Doris developed diphtheria spending some time in an isolation hospital where she learned to be content in her own company, gaining resilience and fortitude – and also it was here that she learned to knit. Her father’s business flourished and she left school to learn book-keeping, short-hand and type-writing to help him. It was in the accountant’s office at Biggleswade where she worked that she met Dick and the courtship on the back of a motorbike along the lanes of Bedfordshire led to marriage in 1939. With war breaking out, she returned to Dunton and their first child, Pauline, was born in 1943 followed by Valerie in 1945. The war over, Dick returned home and the family set up their first home at Kempston. Doris, now supported her husband’s ambitions in his job and the family moved to Earls Barton, in Northamptonshire. With Pauline and Valerie leaving home she had more time and continued to enjoy painting, going to art classes, doing craft-work and her passion for collecting began. She collected stamps, coins, antiques and especially loved finding and collecting Bedfordshire lace and lace bobbins.		She delighted in her grandchildren, Helen, David and James, making them toys and clothes and always remained close to them. Retiring from the world of business, she and Dick moved to Felmersham, returning near to Dick’s roots at Sharnbrook, and enjoyed activities in the village – W.I. and Church flower decorating. She and Dick enjoyed village life with the company of good friends until Dick died in 2003. With her quiet acceptance she continued to live at Peacehaven on her own and later with the help and support of her family and Josephine, her caring companion, retaining her independence and continuing to enjoy her knitting and shopping trips to Sharnbrook. In January 2010, she suffered a stroke and made a remarkable recovery but it left her frail and decided she would live at Sharnbrook House, a Residential Care Home. She died on the afternoon of 18th November 2010 in her sleep. Doris was 91 years old. She had lived a long and happy life, totally fulfilled by being a wife, mother and grandmother.

Mary Ward 1926 - 2010

Mary was born and educated in Bristol and began work as secretary in an insurance company before joining the Red Cross, attached to the RAMC from 1944 - 1947 where she served in Birmingham and at Royal Woolwich Hospitals London.

On demob, she worked at a psychiatric hospital in Bristol for 2 years before taking up a post of Personal Secretary with the Crown Agents in Tanganyika (Tanzania now) for 2 years, later transferring to a similar post in Uganda where she was secretary to the Director of Medical Services and later the minister of health, Professor John Crook.

She married Stan in 1954 and Keith was born in 1956 and Mark a year later. She then took part time work with Doctor Dennis Burkitt who was doing research into childhood cancers in East Africa. This is where I fit in: My parents were neighbours of Stan and Mary, living on a hill top in Entebbe, Uganda at a place called Nsamezi, in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Uncle Stan, Keith and Mark's Dad, and my father Ian, worked at the Nsamezi Community Training Centre. In today's terms they would be called "Mazungu" - The white people who worked with the Africans, for the Africans.

Mary and my mother Ena, became the closest of friends - a colonial friendship that was to last for over 50 years. For the rest of their lives, they kept in regular touch, the memories of the happiest of family times, both the Ward's and the Beaton's had two young sons to enjoy and bring up in the freedom, sunshine and happiness of Uganda. For my part, I will always remember from when I was just a little boy of perhaps only 7 or 8 years old, of the very pretty lady who lived next door. She exuded happiness and together with Stan, so full of fun too. Those days in Entebbe, and later on, on her many and regular visits to South Africa, were to be amongst the happiest days of Mary's life. And that is perhaps the way Mary would want us to remember her; a very attractive lady with a loving personality, a happy mother married to a husband with a lovely smile and the abiding Yorkshire welcome "Hello Love". I will always remember them both, so very happily married. She left East Africa in 1962 to return to England. Back in the UK, our mothers' friendship and mutual support for each other was a love and devotion that was very precious to them both and I count myself very luck to have shared in that devotion that began on a hill top in Uganda so many years ago.

Mary and Stan then ran a village Post Office store in Ravensden for 5 years before Stan retired, and went to live in Felmersham, and she took a post as medical secretary to the Ear Nose and Throat Department of South Wing under Dr Gordon Beeden and Dr Welch where she worked until retiring in 1989.

Since Stan's death, Mary has lived between the Cotswolds and Bedford spending equal times in each and visiting her son and grandsons in Windsor and visiting her son and family in South Africa.

Alastair Beaton and Keith Ward, November 2010

Constance Betty Turner (Nee Desborough) 1924 - 2010
	Born on 4th July, 1924 in Tavistock Street, Bedford, Constance Betty was the eldest of three children born to Ethel and Charles Desborough. The two younger boys were named Michael Charles Spencer and John Richard Harry. Constance was named after one of her Aunts who had died as a teenager. However, she was always known as Betty until 6 years ago, when a hospital nurse renamed her "Connie" which she took a liking to and adopted herself. So, many of you may know her as Betty and more recently acquired friends, as Connie. The family moved around quite a lot - Ampthill Rd., Bedford, Oakley and Finedon. It was at Finedon that her beloved Mother died, aged only 43, leaving a 15 year old Connie to care for her two younger brothers. She reminisced about huddling together under a table when the bombers flew over during the second world war while their Father was out. And having to sell their ration coupons to make ends meet.	It must have been hard and was to become even more difficult when, after her Father remarried, she was separated from her brothers and sent to live with her elderly "Granny Felmersham", so called because, unusually, both her mother's maiden name and her father's surname was Desborough so there had to be a way of identifying which was which. Her maternal Grandmother was known as "Granny Wym" (as in Wymington) and Connie used to love going to stay there occasionally for a weekend, when she was able to meet up with Michael and John. Granny Felmersham lived in the cottage by the bridge over the river. She was very strict and a hard taskmaster. Connie was not allowed much free time. If she wanted to read, it had to be by torchlight under the bedclothes. However, as resourceful as today's teenagers, Connie crept out after dark and cycled to the local village dances with her friends. It was there that she was courted by a local young man from Radwell: John Turner.
On 6th May, 1950 they were married at St Marys Church, Felmersham, and set up home in a little cottage on The Green, Radwell. Connie continued to cycle to work at Odell Leathers for another 9 months or so and, about 15 months after their wedding they were back to St Marys Church for the Christening of their first child: Linda Susan. Their second child, Robert John, was born at the cottage on 3rd August, 1955. John was then working for Marriotts the Builders and the family moved to a terraced house in Moor Road, Rushden so that he was nearer to his work. In 1967 along came "Happy event" number three: Steven David - a little unexpected but very welcome addition to the family. She loved her garden and enjoyed baking for the family. She liked sporting events, ranging from snooker and Formula One Grand Prix to Wimbledon. She was so thrilled when, in 1994, Daryl was born. Her first, and only grandchild. She loved him to visit at weekends and doted on him. Connie was devastated when John died in 2003 but managed to keep going with the help of her children. One year later she was forced to have her right leg amputated and became wheelchair bound when she couldn't cope with a prosthetic leg. She was marvellous and managed to live a full and happy life, although sometimes found it a bit of a struggle. During her last three years her health deteriorated and doctors gave her six months to two years to live. After the initial shock of this, she decided to make the most of the time she had left and filled her days with trips out shopping, to the seaside and would enjoy a ride out around the countryside. "Can we go through Felmersham?" was always her request. She loved it by the river. Connie died, peacefully, on 12th September, 2010. She is missed so very much by all her family and will always be remembered with love and affection.

Stephen Richard Miasek 1951 - 2010
On 5th June 1951 in Felmersham, Stephen Richard Miasek, a bonny baby boy was born. He was the first child of Norah and Richard, an older brother to Ann, Peter and Tina. Whilst Stephen was not to become a gifted artist; or famous musician; he was to become someone who would lift the hearts of all who met him with his great sense of fun and good humour …. a great and rare gift. His School life was normal with the exception that he found a love for history, which was to stay with him for most of his life. The school also fostered his love for sports of any kind. From athletics to football and cricket. In later life, Steve developed a love of horses and dogs, owning a share in a race horse and later purchasing his pride and Joy, a greyhound called ‘Nick Nick’. Steve was so proud of his dog, even though on race day it was quickly established that it could not run round bends. In fact, Nick Nick loved Steve so much, that he was not interested in the rabbit but more interested in running in the other direction, mid race, to sit next to Steve. After leaving school, while others his age were going off to do manual jobs, Steve broke the mould and started a 5 year apprenticeship to become a gentleman’s hairdresser. He was soon cutting the hair of those on the Chicksands RAF base and later went on to on to own two barber shops. He was so good at cutting hair that his parents often had to endure a queue of people outside their house on a Sunday morning waiting for a haircut. 5 a day at half-a-crown a time. At that time, Steve was well known by his regular customers as “Charlie”. Later, Steve’s real skills came to the fore, when he made a major career change, and became the landlord of ‘The Sun’ public house in Felmersham. He had returned to the village of his birth.		Steve lived life to the full! He loved his life, he loved his family, and he especially loved his pub. He was a natural publican, and was destined to spend the next 22 years doing ‘what he was born to do’. He was famous for his little sayings such as “That killed the conversation.” Or “Bad day at Black Rock.” and “Game over” His sense of humour was always to the fore. He loved to make people laugh and succeeded. Steve played for the local cricket team, enjoying games of pool or skittles in his pub, forever laughing and joking with his many friends. He was well known in the village, and embraced village life, helping to organise a local “wheelbarrow race and various charity nights”. Pub life continued until in 2008, when the decision was made to leave the Pub. In late 2008, it was apparent that Steve was unwell. He was later diagnosed as having mouth cancer. This could so easily bring many men to their knees, but not Stephen! He tried to remain positive and still continued to try to ‘cheer up’ the people who visited him in hospital and at home, despite all of the pain and suffering he was enduring. Even whilst in ‘Intensive Care’, his incredible sense of humour still shone through. This is a true testament to the man that he was! Despite everything, he battled bravely to the very end, never complaining. Steve was a man with a great sense of humour; a love of life; and was a friend to all. A happy-go-lucky man, who allowed nothing to be sombre, and had a tremendous flair to bring fun to the lives of all who knew him ….. what greater epitaph could anyone wish for? He touched the lives of many, and will long be remembered as the man “who always looked on the bright side of life”…… Naomi Miasek, September 2010

Alan Stevens 1931 - 2010
Alan lived in London for the early part of his life and was educated at King’s College School, Wimbledon. From there he accepted a commission into the RAF and served in Europe, where he learned Russian - which was to be a strong and lifelong interest . He was later posted to Singapore with his wife Rosemary and his young family, Alison, Felicity and Charles. Taking the early retirement option from the RAF he joined the Civil Service and worked for many years in Bedford, before his retirement in 1993. By this time he had moved to Felmersham and was very proud to become a grandfather to Guy and Simon. He delighted in having time to pursue his very many and varied hobbies and interests. These were indeed extensive: gardening – and his huge delight in good plantsmanship; bird watching and the RSPB – and his encyclopaedic knowledge of British birds; photography – and his delight and surprise at his success in local photographic competitions; maritime interests including the RNLI; cricket; reading and the many facets of village life.		For many years he sang in the church choir (“the man with with the deep voice” as recalled by some) and had been a very active member of Bedford Music Society and Bedford Choral Society. His musical knowledge and appreciation was extensive – he knew what he liked and what he didn’t and was always ready to tell you! In the village, he held the church keys and opened the church each day. He delivered the local magazine and his many small actions of kindness included helping numerous people with lifts. He supported the monthly coffee mornings and was very involved in the Open Gardens scheme in recent times. Alan was a man who always maintained that if a thing were to be done, it should be done fully, properly and with dignity and he lived this conviction. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends. Alison Drury March 2010

If you wish, you can record the death of someone dear to you by writing a short obituary for insertion into this section. The person may have died some years ago, the only qualification is that they must have spent some of their life living in the parish of Felmersham or Radwell.