Margaret Blackman died aged 89, on October 13, 2023 at the residential care home where she’d spent the final seven years of her life.
Born in 1934, Margaret lived a long and full life mostly in Rye and was a well-known resident and character who contributed a great deal to the local community in so many ways.
At the age of just six years old in 1940, like many others she was evacuated from Rye spending the evacuation period in rural Bedfordshire with her older brother, Tony Law. After the war Margaret met and eventually married Maurice and they lived in a small terraced house in South Undercliff raising their young family of three boys, Trevor, Stephen and Garry.
Margaret was initially the homemaker, while Maurice focused on his career as an aircraft electrician. Their second home was in Military Road where the three sons grew up, had a great deal of fun and established themselves in Rye as members of the church choir, cubs and scouts, and Rye Cricket Club.
Margaret and Maurice’s life changed totally when they took on the newsagent’s shop in The Landgate, and over many years built up a very successful business. They lived a good life with a very active social life largely centered around Rye and District Rotary Club and The Inner Wheel.
There are so many people in and around Rye who knew Margaret and Maurice, maybe as customers in the shop or perhaps as newspaper delivery boys and girls. The long hours involved in running the shop didn’t slow them down as they organised dozens of fund-raising events such as the Rotary Club country fair and the annual Christmas tree collection in Market Road. Tens of thousands of pounds were raised for so many good causes supported by this. In addition, both Margaret and Maurice became cub and scout leaders in Rye for many years.
Margaret was especially proud of the fact that she served two separate terms as president of the Inner Wheel, and also loved supporting Maurice when he was Rotary president.
On retirement from the newsagent business, they moved to a house at the top of Udimore Road and continued living a full life as a big part of the local community. Margaret secured a part-time job at Penny Royal in the High Street, while Maurice worked at Rye Cruisers boat works on Winchelsea Road and for many years both were stalwart volunteers at the Rye Museum, and founder members of Rye U3A organisation.
Maurice sadly died in 2012, and around this time Margaret began showing signs and symptoms of dementia. She soldiered on for a few more years in her house at the top of Udimore Road, until for various reasons it became unsafe for her to carry on living there.
As the illness developed and her safety and security were further compromised it was necessary for Margaret to move to a wonderful care home near Haywards Heath, where for the final seven years of her life she was very well looked after. In common with many Alzheimer’s sufferers Margaret’s world rapidly shrank, and she lost the ability to communicate and even interact with regular family visitors.
A small family funeral service was held on November 17, where her two surviving sons, Trevor and Stephen led a heartfelt celebration of Margaret’s life which also featured live music and memories from grandchildren Jo, Jack and Euan. It was a lovely and relaxed afternoon with many thoughts and reflections from those attending.
We will all remember Margaret fondly. She was fiercely loyal and supportive of everything we did in our careers and it was heart-breaking when she lost the ability to communicate with us due to Alzheimer’s.
To quote from the final words of the service; “Margaret, nothing more can be asked of you now, other than we let you go. Be free, be strong, be proud of who you have been, know that you will be mourned and missed, that no one can replace you, that you have loved and are beloved. Rest, heal, grow young again. Be blessed and be at peace for evermore.”
Fly Free Mum…”
Image Credits: Steve Blackman .