Margaret Elizabeth Simmons (29 May 1948 - 17 Apr 2025)

Margaret was born in Godalming, Surry, the first of five children of Ron Roberts (aka Roy) and Marjorie. In spite of my best efforts to marry into money, Ron had got himself disinherited shortly beforehand, so times, not long after the war, were hard. Perhaps that is what made Maggs such a diligent and thrifty homemaker. It also gave her a lifelong love of the Arboretum at Haslemere, where she played as a child before it became a National Trust property.

I first met Maggs at the British Aircraft Corporation at Weybridge when I was still an apprentice. She used to tell an embellished story of how my fellow apprentices visited the planning office where she worked to size her up and that they advised me against the liaison. There are two of my fellow apprentices coming today so they can give you an authentic version of that tale later. Rumour has it that the TSR2 project was cancelled because Maggs' planning sheets were late.

Maggs and I were married at Chessington Evangelical Church on 24th January 1970. We had become committed Christians shortly after we were engaged. There are two or three people coming today who were there at the time, who became lifelong friends and worked together, mostly in working with teenagers. Singing Christmas carols on an open topped bus in London in December was an abiding memory of the young people's work, as were visits to the Prom concerts. Later we moved to Fleet, Hampshire, and there are friends from Fleet and our church there coming today also. Again Maggs was at the centre of working in the church, in the schools and with young people. Pancake evenings were fun, and together with my colleague Rob she took kids from the school to London for careers events.

Maggs did have a couple of full time jobs before Andrew our son was born, she was a PA to the CEO of a Christian charity for a while and also worked at Horton Hospital Epsom as a Placement Officer. She always put being a mother and homemaker first though, right to the end. We very recently had our en-suite remodelled to make it easier for her to clean. At one point words were exchanged when I asked her why she couldn't ask me to do the bits she found hard, to which she stiffly replied that she was determined to do it herself.

Maggs always was supportive of anything Andrew or I were doing, and she put up with the difficulties of being an AAIB wife without a murmur. She also enjoyed helicopter rides over London, trips to lunch in France on an executive jet and any other perks going.

Her skills and interests were many. Sugercraft and wedding cakes, she was especially accomplished with. She became an accomplished quilter in recent years. She was a successful school governor, leader, friend and confidant to many. A competent organiser, she was also a source of wise counsel to many, me especially.

Maggs was, and did, so many things – she leaves a void that can never be filled. She died after a brief but severe illness, as she lived - unafraid, confident in her faith, surrounded by her friends and family. Her last day was marked less by sorrow than by her smiles and peacefulness.