Issue 57— April 2005
In memoriam
Walter Buckingham - 'Wally', who died at the end of last year, lived in Cumnor but for many years during the 1960s and 1970s was Jericho's Co-op milkman. Many long-time Jericho residents remember him fondly - especially because he used to let them, as children, ride around on his milk float. The local dogs also used to jump on board. Even after he retired he was frequently seen driving round Jericho in his little sports car.
Margaret Horne - Maggie, who died aged 52 in December, moved to Oxford as a young woman with her son Jason, first to Woodstock Road, and then to Jericho where she lived in Combe Road. Maggie was a real character, someone you certainly couldn't miss; she was immensely proud of her appearance and had a huge wardrobe. She devoted a lot of her energy to looking after others, always fiercely supportive of Jason, and was devoted to her grandson Reece. But she did not look after herself so well. She suffered from diabetes which led to her premature death. She was a regular in the Bookbinders, where there is now a memorial plaque by her old barstool.
Albert Jones - 'Ted' Jones, who died in November, moved to Jericho in 1964 and for 25 years worked for the Water Board. He met his wife Sheila in the Harcourt Arms and they lived in various places in Jericho thereafter. Ted was a larger-than- life figure, a happy, convivial man. Our sympathies to Sheila.
Ronald Mobley - Ronald was born in Canal Street, where he was to spend most of his life. He went to St Barnabas School where he excelled both academically and on the sports field, playing football for Oxford Boys (his cousin, Vic Mobley, played for Sheffield Wednesday). In 1952 he started an apprenticeship making stereotype plates at OUP. After 35 years, however, modern technology displaced him and he was made redundant, following which he went to work as a driver for Oxonian Rewley Press until his retirement in 2001. Ronald was a bachelor and lived for most of his life with his mother in the same house in which he was born until she died aged 81. He took a great interest in his nephews and nieces and was always generous to them. Unfortunately, he did not enjoy good health in his retirement and, after he moved to Whitworth Place, died suddenly in November, aged 68.
Thelma Townsend - Thelma, who died in February, lived in Richmond Road. Her husband worked in Pusey House and they had two sons and two daughters. She moved to Norfolk a couple of years ago to be near her son, Hugh, and was buried in Brancaster.
Paul Turner - Paul, who was 34, drowned in the river behind the ice rink on January 31st. This brought to an end a life characterized by a cheerful waywardness. Paul, who had lived with his parents, Roger and Irene, in Cardigan Street, was a personable young man and in his youth was very popular. But ultimately he was overcome by forces beyond his control and succumbed to a rather nomadic existence. A few years ago, under the patient guidance of Father Dominic at the Oratory, he was baptized there. This is also where his funeral took place, attended by many of his friends. Our sympathies to his parents.
Harry Wheeler - Harry died in March, aged 93. He was born in Jericho and grew up in Walton Crescent in one of a row of five houses built by his father. He went to St Barnabas School and sang in the church choir. Leaving school at 14, he started work as a compositor at the Oxford Times, later transferring to the reading department where he worked for 35 years. In 1940, after marrying Nesta, a nurse at the Radcliffe, he moved to Headington. They had three sons, though one died at birth and is buried in St Sepulchre's. When Nesta died in 2000 he moved to Woodstock.
