A MUCH-loved Melksham resident, Jean Harris, has been honoured with a memorial plaque and the planting of a rare Wiltshire dognose apple tree at the Queen Mary Garden.
Jean, who died last April, was town clerk and the driving force behind some of Melksham’s most cherished events, including the annual Christmas Fair and the town’s entry into the Britain in Bloom competitions.
Friends, relatives and council members gathered in the garden, that sits near King George V Playing Field, on Saturday 27th April, for a special ceremony that unveiled the plaque and the tree that has been planted in Jean’s memory.
“Jean was a wonderful person and was so dedicated to the town,” said former Mayor Davina Griffin who led the ceremony. “She was a fantastic support to me when I was mayor and was the lifeblood of Melksham for a long time. She made things happen and was responsible for a lot of great things in the town.
“When I heard she had died, I think a little bit of Melksham died with her. Quite simply, she made Melksham a better place.”
Jean worked at the town council for over 30 years as town clerk and finance officer before retiring in 2018. She was the organiser of the Melksham Christmas fair and was an active supporter of the Melksham Hospital Fete, the Melksham Community bus service, Melksham Christmas Lights and Melksham Bloomers – the group that decorates the town with flower displays and enters Melksham into the local and regional bloom competitions.
