Marjorie Scarlett (24 May 1933 - 14 Mar 2025)
Funeral Director
Our beloved mother passed away on 14th March 2025. She was the Scrabble queen, a dressmaker who could easily have matched those on the Sewing Bee, a keen gardener, and a recycler supreme...long before it became fashionable. She was the backbone of our family, and held everyone together.
Born in Leicester, in 1933, she spent most of her first 24 years in Essex. Until she got married she'd never had running water or electricity, so many of her extraordinary skills were learned during those formative years. In the weeks leading up to her 24th birthday she met her brother's Scottish friend, and took a chance on writing to his brother, John, in Kilmarnock. Two letters each later and she travelled up to Scotland to meet him. Fireworks clearly lit up the sky, as they instantly decided they wanted to get married. Six months after that, having constantly wished they'd just eloped, the happy day arrived. They had sixty very happy years together.
While Marjorie wasn't used to running water or electricity, John had a TV and an electric blanket. They say opposites attract, and they were made for each other. They spent the first ten years of their married lives in Scotland, before moving down to Kent. A couple of years later John put a deposit down on a house in Sittingbourne, before Marjorie had even seen it. She was clearly very happy with his decision, as she lived there nearly 52 years.
Marjorie & John were blessed with three children, who later gave them five grandchildren, and a further three great-grandchildren. Marjorie was lucky enough to get to cuddle them all. Most of those children got the chance to draw pictures with her, sometimes with her original Spirograph, or play Tiddlywinks, or even Scrabble (but it was unlikely they'd ever beat her). They'd be fascinated by the fact that she cut up old rubber gloves to make elastic bands, or kept the blank sections of envelopes to write her shopping lists on, and it was impossible not to enjoy going through her button box, or offcuts of material, when she'd show you how to make something.
Her sewing and knitting skills came in very handy, with a growing family. The children would often get matching jumpers, or she'd make school uniforms. She even made clothes for weddings over the years, either to wear herself, when her daughters were bridesmaids, or her younger daughter's spectacular wedding dress.
As well as clothing all the family, she would grow the food to feed us, in her beloved garden and greenhouse. She'd then cook it, even using the camping stove, if there was a power cut. She was always resourceful like that. You could guarantee there was something she had stored away in a cupboard, or her chest of drawers, for whatever situation you found yourself in. As for her gardening, it sometimes looked like she was storing a body there too, as people would joke that her front garden looked like a grave, but she loved it.
During Marjorie & John's sixty years together they enjoyed travelling the country, first by train, then later by either a hired caravan, or their campervans. Years earlier, Marjorie had tried to learn to ride a motorbike, and drive a car, but she found she was best suited to her bicycle, that she happily rode for many miles to work, when she was a shorthand typist, and also for enjoyment. When they were away, Marjorie took on the cooking, cleaning and navigating role, while John drove them all across the country. They particularly loved visiting Scotland and Wales, where their families were from.
As well as a cup of tea, you were guaranteed to find a pen and a puzzle book in Marjorie's hand. She also kept her mind active using her mobile phone, playing games on her tablet, and even trying to Skype...although her and John were more successful in taking their own photo than trying to make a Skype call. During the last few years she relied on the use of Alexa, to view old photos, listen to music, and do video calls with family across the country, as well as having regular visits in person.
Marjorie's life was touched by dementia more than once. Firstly her father, then her husband, with different forms of dementia. Marjorie took on the caring role for John that she later relied on herself, when she had yet another form of dementia. For Marjorie it was Alzheimer's. When she made her wedding vows, "In sickness and in health" she meant it. Both her and John supported each other throughout their sixty years together, always having each other's back. When John died Marjorie said "Thank you for a wonderful life." If John could have spoken, he would have said the same thing.
Mum, Nan, Marjorie, thank you for giving us all a wonderful life xxx
is attending the funeral
donated £20 in memory of Marjorie
To honour the memory of loved ones past.
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donated £20 in memory of Marjorie
Mum, Dad, and everyone else affected by this cruel symptom of a number of diseases. Hopefully a cure will be found some time soon.
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is attending the funeral
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Marjorie and John, travelling from one end of the country to the other.
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These photos haven't appeared in the order I added them, which is confusing. When I stopped to think about it, this seems like a fair description of dementia. Most recent memories get a bit muddled, and even some of the older ones too. The further back into the past you go, the more orderly the memories become.
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Marjorie and Iain, in Kilmarnock.
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In Glencoe, at the start of Marjorie and John's decades long love affair with mobile camping.
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Marjorie's handwriting was beautiful, particularly as this letter was written without electric lighting. It was always beautiful though, throughout the years.
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Marjorie, getting to cuddle her last great-grandchild for the first time.
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"In sickness and in health" Standing at the door of the church they were married in, exactly 59 years earlier, and celebrating their sixty years together with HMQEII.
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Enjoying life together, no matter what it threw at them.
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Being each other's support, forever.
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The Scrabble Queen, smiling as she wins again.
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Marjorie being the backbone and support of the family, while John takes the photo.
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Trying to make a Skype call, but only succeeding in making us all smile, as they captured this photo of them together.
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It's never too old to learn a new skill though, so the Hudl tablet was mastered for games.
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Marjorie's skills at dressmaking were exemplary, and it was particularly visible at weddings.
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Ever resourceful, Marjorie was guaranteed to having something buried away in a cupboard for an emergency, even if it was a camping stove in a powercut.
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It looked like Marjorie had buried more than just supplies for a powercut, but this shows her love of gardening.
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Marjorie was often found in her greenhouse, tending to her tomatoes, or in the garden with the carrots and runner beans, etc.
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Marjorie tried to learn to drive the car, but it was one of the few skills she never mastered.
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Marjorie also tried to learn to ride her brother's motorbike, but much preferred it when he held the handlebars of her bicycle, and just pulled her home.
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Marjorie happily rode her bicycle for many miles, although don't be deceived by the Moscow sign, as this was in Ayrshire, not Russia.
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Marjorie and John travelling to the opposite end of the country, and wearing a couple more layers of clothing.
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They say "Life's a beach." and we spent lots of time at the beach. It was a good life.
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Marjorie and Helen, Kilmarnock
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Marjorie's first married home. A one bedroom flat, that her and John brought three children into. It had the compulsory flying ducks of the time on the wall.
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