Obituary

Former Councillor, Magistrate and Ashford resident for 45 years, Anthony ‘Tony’ Edwards died suddenly while on a cruise holiday with his wife, Anne.

Remembered for his unstinting voluntary work, generous nature and immaculate dress sense, he will be greatly missed as a husband, father, grandfather, brother and colleague by the many people that knew and loved him.

Born in London in 1934, Tony spent his early years in Greenwich sheltering from the Blitz. He often recounted tales of nights spent in the Anderson shelter, with his beloved copy of 'Coral Island' for comfort, listening as the Luftwaffe scored direct hits on the buildings and houses close by.

After the war he did his National Service in Catterick before training as a dental technician and then taking work as a travel courier, accompanying tourists on train journeys to Spain.

Tony met Anne, his wife of 47 years, in Spain and came back to settle temporarily in Whitstable, before moving to Ashford in 1964 where he worked as a dental technician for Joe Kemp Roberts on the High Street.

His father, Bill, was part of the team that opened the original Rimmel factory on Carlton Road and it was in 1968 that Tony joined his father at Rimmel and stayed for 25 years.

Tony's real passion and contribution though was in civic life and voluntary work.

His first taste of volunteering came in the early 1970’s when he trained and worked as a councillor for the National Marriage Guidance Council, now 'Relate'.

Enjoying the rewards of giving something back to the community, he stood as a Liberal councillor in his home ward of Kennington Lees in 1978 and won the safe Conservative seat by a good margin on the strength of his local residency and tireless campaigning.

Tony held the seat until he decided to stand down in 1987.

While on the Council he sat on a number of committees and was influential in many of the key decisions of the time.

In 1980, Tony was invited to become a magistrate and was elected to the Ashford & Tenterden bench on 23 April 1981, becoming a Chairman of the Youth court in 1986 and Deputy Chairman of the Adult court in 1993.

Running alongside his work as a magistrate, he was Chairman of the Board of Visitors at Aldington Prison between 1987 and 1992 and was also a Governor of The Towers and Downs View schools in Kennington.

On retiring from Rimmel in 1994, Tony became a lay member of the Pensions Appeals Tribunal, travelling up and down the country to hear appeals from injured ex-serviceman.

In all aspects of his public life he is remembered fondly for his good humour and the pragmatic approach that he took to the issues and cases that were placed before him.

Overlooked for, and never seeking, any official honours for his contribution to the community, he took great pride in his invitations to two Royal Garden Parties at the Palace.

Plagued for many years by tinnitus and deteriorating hearing, he retired from the Bench and his work for the Pensions Appeals Tribunal in 2004.

Tony spent his final years living quietly in Kennington with Anne, fighting increasing frailty brought on by a heart attack in 2007.

Despite his failing strength, he never lost his sharp sense of style. Rarely seen out of a suit, with a perfect Windsor knot in his tie and shoes polished to a mirror, he always took great pride in his appearance and it is fitting, therefore, that in the last picture of him, he is dressed in black-tie for a dinner on board ship only a few days before he died.

He is survived by his wife Anne, brother Colin, now resident in Florida, and two sons, Neil, who lives in Sussex, and Ian, who is now living in Australia.

A funeral will be held at Charing Crematorium on Tuesday 1st June at 11.20. Anybody that knew Tony and would like to pay their respects is welcome.