From devoted Town fans to analytical geniuses who helped crack the Enigma code, we have looked back at the stories of those in Ipswich who we have said goodbye to in 2023.
Obituaries give relatives a chance to pay tribute to their loved ones, sharing memories and stories that will never be forgotten.
In September, we bid farewell to George Welham, who many will remember from his days running the Chevallier Lodge Club, known as ‘the Chev’, which he ran from 1962. George worked to make the club one of the most vibrant places in Ipswich.
He was also known for keeping ducks, with his wife Caroline estimating that they had a flock of almost 100 birds at one point, much to the delight of local children.
We also said goodbye to Gina Nicholls, a much-loved wife, mother and grandmother.
She and her husband Tommy often used to sing the Bon Jovi song Livin’ on Prayer.
They particularly liked the lines: ‘Tommy used to work on the docks’, while ‘Gina works the diner all day, working for her man, she brings home her pay for love’.
With Gina, a waitress, and Tommy working down at Felixstowe docks, these words were perfectly true, and the couple regarded it as their song.
We also said goodbye to Ipswich woman Margaret Betts. Margaret was described by Winston Churchill himself as one of the “geese that laid the golden eggs, but never cackled”, for she was among those working tirelessly at Bletchley Park during the Second World War.
In 1942, Margaret was selected for ‘special war service’.
“Men in dark suits came and told her she would be doing some ‘important work’, but they didn’t tell her what it was,” said her son, Jonathan. “What they did say was that she must never, ever tell anyone about it.”
Margaret did not reveal the truth to her children until the 1980s, 40 years later.
In January, we paid tribute to Graham Newman, who was a leading member of both the county and Felixstowe Town Council for many years.
Dr Therese Coffey, MP for Suffolk Coastal, paid tribute to Cllr Newman, who she described as a “champion of Felixstowe”.
“It is with great sadness that I pay tribute to Graham Newman, the county councillor for Felixstowe Coastal, who died just after Christmas following a short illness,” she said.
“My sympathies and prayers are with his wife and family.”
Ipswich Town Football Club also paid tribute to lifelong fan Terri Chandler, who died from cancer aged 54.
She and her brother Richard became avid Town fans as children and would travel to watch home and away games together, spending many an afternoon together cheering on the Blues at Portman Road.
Terri worked as a nurse at Colchester Hospital, specialising in allergies and asthma. Terri became well-known amongst her patients, who still remember the kindness she showed them.
2023 was also a year for paying tribute to those who died many years ago. In November, a mural was unveiled to Private Aaron McClure, a soldier who died in Afghanistan in 2007 when he was just 19.
His sacrifice and bravery were praised by councillors present, and teachers from his former school of Westbourne Academy (then Westbourne High).
One of those to speak was councillor Alasdair Ross, who also paid tribute to the loss of Private Gary Barnes, who was killed in action in Northern Ireland in 1979.
“One small part of our town has lost two of our young men,” he said. “Where our younger generation is often criticised by many who should know better, in this small part of Ipswich, two boys volunteered and never came back.
“We shall always remember that."
If you would like to have a tribute to your loved one in 2024, contact: abygail.fossett@newsquest.co.uk
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