Remembering Mary Prior 1932 – 2022

MARY PRIOR, a valued member of Caversham Methodist Church, died on 31 May 2022, aged 90.
Mary began her life in Burghfield Common and, with her parents, attended the Methodist Chapel there. She worked for British Telecom, supervising new entrants. One ex-member of staff remembers Mary as being very calm, cheery, and with lots of smiles.
Mary’s Mum and Dad were both musical, her Dad being a choirmaster, so her life was surrounded by music. Mary belonged to various choirs, including The New Elizabethan Singers and The Mortimer Choral Society, and was a keen supporter of Reading Male Voice Choir.
At Gosbrook Road Methodist Church she became a Senior Steward, a Pastoral Visitor, and a helper with The Sunshine Girls Choir. For many years she was a volunteer driver for The Caversham Good Neighbours’ scheme.
Within the wider church, Mary became President of Network (‘Network’ being the Methodist Women’s Fellowship) for the Southampton Methodist District.
A garden lover, Mary tended a nearby allotment, where she was good at producing all kinds of vegetables and flowers. She was especially keen on growing dahlias and chrysanthemums.
One of Mary’s specialties was making jam and marmalade, and she always had a large stall at the Gosbrook Road Church
Christmas Fair, as well as hosting her own Coffee Evenings. Mary must have made hundreds, if not thousands, of jars of jam, raising a substantial sum for the Church over the years.
Mary was a lovely lady, a cheery soul, and a great friend and neighbour. It was a privilege to have known her.