PEOPLE in Redhill are mourning the death of a popular local character.
Judy Parish died suddenly on Wednesday, January 16, at her home in Garlands Road. She had suffered heart failure and despite valiant attempts by paramedics, could not be revived.
Mrs Parish, 72, moved to her Victorian terraced home in June 1961 – seven months after she and her husband, Alec, were married at nearby St John's Church.
Mrs Parish was one of Redhill's real characters. She talked unashamedly with a Cockney-like accent and liked to make everyone she met laugh. She also displayed great kindness to scores of elderly people in Redhill over the years.
She was the only child of the late Beatrice and Arthur Northeast, of Earlswood Road, Earlswood. Born on August 14, 1940, she attended St John's Infant School and Hooley School – both in Earlswood – before working as a cleaner at Surrey Fine Art Press in Cavendish Road, Redhill; the Surrey Mirror when its offices were in Ladbroke Road, Redhill; and Foxboro Engineering, Redhill.
For several years she was a sheltered housing officer at Chilmead elderly people's home in North Street, Redhill.
Apart from her husband, she leaves three grown-up children: Michael, Tony, and Christopher. Between them, they provided her with five grandchildren or step-grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren or half great-grandchildren.
The funeral service will be held at Surrey and Sussex Crematorium in Balcombe Road, Worth, on Friday, February 8 at 11.30am.
