OBITUARY

Mary Elizabeth Haysom (neé Wickstead)

Mary was born in Peckham, London, but spent some of her early years with relatives in Ashburnham, Sussex, where as a child she enjoyed holidays and attended school at Battle. She worked as a house parlour-maid for the Rector of St Mary Magdalen Church, St Leonard's on Sea, where she was confirmed.

She met her first husband Stanley Sluman in 1936 and after marriage they moved to Bideford in Devon to be near his parents. When the war broke out, Mary trained as an auxiliary nurse, with the Civil Nursing Reserve at St Mary's Hospital, Portsmouth, but had to give this up because of ill health.

She moved to London and became a Receptionist with the National Service Demob Centre in Sloane Square. During this time her marriage came to an end and she took on additional evening work and became a waitress at the Cumberland Hotel, Marble Arch. Whilst there she met her second husband Wadock Bartosiak and they were married in 1939. They had two sons Nicholas and Leon and it was during this time they moved to Waterlooville where her husband found work in Portsmouth.

In recent years she has suffered ill health after a stroke in 1987 and has been housebound for some of the time. She worked hard in looking after her family and had a firm Christian Faith. She has been a regular worshipper and communicant at St George's for many years and will be sadly missed by many who knew her. We extend our sympathy to Leon and his brother in their loss. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.

MALCOLM FERRIER