Tower and Town, April 2016 (view the full edition)Grace Rosina Mary DenmanAugust 4 1912 - February 10 2016 Grace Denman, who died recently at the age of 103, was a very special person. She not only lived to a great age but was remarkable for the sharpness of her mind and her memories and for her unassuming but entirely self-possessed attitude towards her own life and life in general. She came from a humble background in Essex. When she was a girl, her father died from the effects of illness caught during the 1st World War and money was 'tight', She retired in 1972 and in the same year married her 'chief', Teddy Denman, a widower and fourteen years older than herself. He brought two distinguished adult stepsons into her life, Sir Roy Denman, who played a major part in negotiating Britain's entry into the Common Market, and Eric, who as an orthopaedic consultant in Swindon, persuaded his father and Grace to move from the Home Counties to Marlborough in 1985. Here Grace involved herself in the life of the town and St Mary's - holding a prayer group in her home, running the Mother's Union, secretary to the Luncheon Club, and holding coffee mornings for the Brandt Group. She was a proof-reader for Tower and Town for many years. Her eagle eye never missed a missing comma, and only when she reached 100 she announced that her powers were failing (we hadn't noticed) and that she ought to retire. She was a person of high standards, great charm and modesty. Clare Napier wrote and published a memoir of Grace which contains fascinating details of Grace's life and fondly reveals her character. I acknowledge Clare's work in composing this tribute. There may still be copies available from Clare (512333). John Osborne |
but she was clearly able and did well as a scholarship girl at Chelmsford High School, especially at French. Her proficiency in this language led to her working as a telephonist for the Continental Telephone Service, to war work about which she would never divulge details and to work in Paris after the war, before resuming her job at the Post Office.