A FORMER Mayor of Wimborne and celebrated charity campaigner who worked “vigorously” to make her community a better place has died.
Margery Elsie Ryan has been described as a “real pillar of the community” who served the Dorset town of Wimborne for more than 30 years. Publicly, she wore the mayoral robes with confidence and poise. Privately, she was a much-loved wife, mother of five and grandmother to 13.
Margery was born in Yorkshire in 1932 and moved to London in 1948. Soon afterwards, she met and fell in love with a young man named Denis Ryan. The two were married in 1954 and remained so for more than 55 years until Denis passed in 2011 at the age of 84.
After leaving London, Denis and Margery moved to Bournemouth in 1957 and then to Wimborne in the early 1960’s, where they would remain for the rest of their lives – raising their family and playing key roles in the community.
They had five children: Christopher, Nicholas, Kate, Patrick and Dominic.
A career in public office soon followed for Margery who was elected to the Wimborne Minster Town Council as in the 1980’s. She served as deputy mayor to Malcom Angel in 1988, before being appointed town mayor the next year.
Not one to sit in an office all day, a memorable moment in her tenure came when she and a large ensemble from Wimborne made a 21 hour coach trip to the town of Ochsenfurt in Germany. It was there that Margery met with German officials and signed the official document to formalise the twinning between the Wimborne Minster and Ochsenfurt.
In December 1989, Margery started the Save the Children Fund Christmas Parade which has become a staple in Wimborne ever since. Just four floats travelled through the town during the first year, while recent years have seen up to 50 as the event continues to grow in popularity.
Aside from her council work, Margery was a volunteer on the Wimborne branch of Save the Children Fund for many years and was presented with an honour from the charity by Princess Anne.
Numerous other organisations also benefitted from Margery’s involvement. In 2021, she was presented with a painting of St Margaret’s Almshouses in recognition of her 32 years as a trustee of the St. Margaret’s and Stones. Other activities involved her work with young people and she was a trustee of The Reef youth club in Colehill.
She ran local Girl Guide troops in the 1960’s and 70’s, played a church organ for more than 30 years, was a member of the Wimborne Tidy Group, and helped at the Priest House Museum (now the Museum of East Dorset).
A passionate Liberal Democrat, Margery’s party colleagues remember her as a “one of the best”.
Cllr Pat Hymers said: “Margery was never one to just sit round a table for a meeting. If there was a job to do, she would offer to do it. And all things were done with generosity of spirit and a kind thoughtful heart. She really was one of the best who used her life to make things better for people both locally and further afield.”
In recognition of her decades of service, Margery was appointed a Freewoman of Wimborne by the town council in 2012.
Wimborne town crier Chris Brown said of Margery: “She was a great stalwart of the town and one of its greatest advocates. In Margery’s latter years she and I became mobility scooter pals, and for many years we would ride together at the Save the Children Christmas Parade on our scooters. She was always a joy to be with, her positive attitude and love for people was always evident and I have never heard her utter a bad word about anyone.
“Margery was a beautiful soul who gave so much to this town, community and countless individuals she helped along the way and I am honoured to have known her.”
Margery Elsie Ryan died peacefully at her home on January 14, 2022. She was 89 years old.
She is survived by her five loving children and 13 grandchildren.
Her well attended funeral took place at St Catherine’s Roman Catholic Church in Wimborne on Thursday, February 3. Donations were made to the Save the Children Fund.
Have you recently lost a loved one? Email andrew.goldman@newsquest.co.uk if you want to celebrate their life with the community.
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