Friday 26th April 2013
Margaret Fitch, a resident of St. John’s Hospital, at Heytesbury, has died, aged 74. She passed peacefully away on Wednesday 17th April 2013, at Sutton Veny Nursing Home, after a long illness borne with great courage.
She will be remembered by many in Warminster, from her time as an employee behind the counter at Wilson and Kennard’s, the high-class grocers, whose premises were in the Market Place, Warminster (where the British Heart Foundation Charity Shop and Capelli’s the hairdressers now are). Margaret worked there for Peter Mead.
Following Peter’s death and the closure of Wilson and Kennard, Margaret started up her own shop, a delicatessen called Margaret’s Pantry, near the corner of Market Place and Carson’s Yard, circa 1988. This proved a great success, particularly with the former customers of Wilson and Kennard.
Following her retirement, Margaret devoted much of her time to charity fundraising. For the last few years she co-organised (with Anne Hawkins) the regular Wednesday Coffee Mornings and Raffles, in the Residents’ Hall at St. John’s Hospital, Heytesbury, raising thousands of pounds for local charities and good causes.
Margaret’s funeral service will be held at the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Heytesbury, on 9th May 2013, at 11.00 a.m. The service will be followed by a private cremation at the West Wilts Crematorium, Semington. Flowers may be sent to Arthur W. Mays, funeral directors, 52 Warminster Road, Westbury.