Mary Withey

Born in Weymouth, her grandfather, who was known as the Grand Old Man of Weymouth, was a JP and Mayor of the town. Longevity ran in the family and he reached the age of 99.

Mary worked as a doctor’s receptionist in Weymouth and married a bank worker from the seaside town who was known as Chuff. The couple joined the local Operatic Society and performed together in many Gilbert and Sullivan musicals.

When Chuff was moved to the Lloyds branch in Wareham they set up home in East Street. Later the family moved to Sandford Road where Mary took great pleasure from tending her large garden.

As well as her passion for gardening, Mary was a great source of information to her friends and other members of Sandford and Wareham gardening clubs.

She worked for a few years at Wareham surgery following her husband’s death in 1971. The couple had two daughters; Audrey who lives in Hertfordshire and Sally who emigrated and lives with her family in Australia. Tragically her son, Peter, who ran a garage business in Wareham, died suddenly in 1999 at the age of 51.

The funeral of the much-loved grandmother and great-grandmother, who was still gardening well into her 90s, took place at Poole Crematorium on July 9.