Barbara Gwyneth Sharp (26 May 1933 - 16 Jul 2022)

In loving memory of Barbara Gwyneth Sharp who passed away peacefully on 16th July 2022.

Barbara was born on 26 May 1933 in Yorkshire, one of the six children of Nellie and Cecil Cox. She grew up in Huddersfield with her 4 sisters and younger brother, and for a while, the next door neighbours were a certain Sharp family. Holidays were spent hop picking in Hawkhurst, and when Barbara left school she worked in the local cotton mill.

The Sharp family moved away to Kent, but their oldest son, Peter, kept in touch, writing to Barbara’s mother while on national service in the RAF. Barbara offered to reply to his letter and they began writing to each other regularly. They fell in love, and although everyone told them they were too young to marry, Barbara left her home in Yorkshire to be with Peter, and they married in January 1952. Barbara kept their letters all her life.

At first, they lived with Peter’s parents in Snodland but soon moved to a council house in Lime Crescent, East Malling. They had five children - Linda, Phillip, Stephen, Karen and Terry. Early family life was very busy and Barbara worked hard bringing up the children and fruit picking at the Research Station. Money was tight, but she enjoyed finding bargains at jumble sales and hand knitting clothes for the children, including swimming trunks for the boys!

Over the years, they moved house several times between East Malling and Snodland, and she had lots of different jobs to fit in around the family. She and Peter still found time for a social life, playing darts at the Bricklayer’s Arms pub in Snodland and gathering round as Doris played the piano.

Later on, they enjoyed holidays in Cornwall, the New Forest, Wales, Jersey, the Lake District and Bournemouth, as well as trips further afield in Spain and America.

Barbara liked playing cards, games and quiz shows and was a stickler for the rules. In her later years she embraced technology and played computer games. She had a mobile phone and an iPad, which went everywhere with her.

She and Peter had been married for 59 years when he passed away in 2011. Although devastated, she forged a new way of life for herself, living independently in Snodland for 10 years after Peter’s death, with the love and support of her family and good friends Jean and Ernie. She walked to the shops almost every day and made new friends at the Pavilion cafe.

Barbara always took great pride in her appearance, getting her hair and nails done and buying new clothes. She coped stoically during the Covid lockdown and when she couldn’t go to the hairdresser’s she bought curlers to do her own hair.

Barbara never let anything get her down and never complained when she became ill. She was a strong minded, feisty lady and an inspiration to her family.

A dearly loved mum of 5, grandmother of 10 and great grandmother of 10, Barbara will be fondly remembered and sadly missed by all who knew and loved her.