ONE of Melksham’s well-known and popular civic and community leaders has died aged 82.

Maureen Weston, née Liddiard, died on Monday, March 15 at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon after being transferred there from the Ridgeway House care home in Royal Wootton Bassett.

Maureen was born in Corsham on May 18, 1938, the eldest daughter of five children (three girls and two boys) to Marjorie and Jack Liddiard.

Maureen’s home town was Melksham, where she attended St Michael’s Church School. She joined the Brownies and Guides and what was to become her lifelong interest in the St John Ambulance Association.

Maureen married David Weston, a local man, on October 5,1957 and the couple had two sons, Mark and Paul.

Working at Scot Bowyers Ltd in Trowbridge, Maureen had many friends, and her interest in local politics began.

She was elected as chairman of the Melksham Urban District Council from 1976, and, most notably, during 1977, the Queen’s Silver Jubilee year, and into 1978. Maureen continued with local government by being elected a member of the West Wiltshire District Council, with local schools and in later years on Atworth Parish Council

Maureen will always be remembered by many for her charity work with the St John Ambulance Brigade in Melksham, and in the county of Wiltshire, where she rose to the rank of Deputy County Commissioner and serving Sister of the Order.

In 1966, she and David had to travel by travel from Melksham to Bexhill because they could not find a coach driver to take them due to the World Cup football final taking place between England and Germany. On the way, they shared a carriage with some girls from Germany and listened to the match on the radio.

After retirement from work, she and David moved to Atworth, where they remained until David, her husband of 55 years, passed away.

She will be fondly remembered by her four grandchildren Melanie, Rebecca, Rachael and Avani, and also her four great grandchildren Kyle, Lilly-May, Kara and Sophie.

Maureen moved to Swindon, due to ill health, to be closer to family, and subsequently chose to become a resident at Ridgeway House care home run by the Orders of St John Care Trust.

The funeral cortege will travel through Melksham and pass by Melksham Town Hall on Thursday, April 1 at around 2.10pm should you wish to pay your respects.

Donations, if desired, are for St Johns Ambulance or Dementia UK, c/o D J Bewley, 15 Bank Street, Melksham, SN12 6LE.