Irish Railway Record Society

MRS. MAGGIE GILBERT

It is with great sadness that we have to record the death of  Mrs Maggie Gilbert, the IRRS London Area Secretary, after a short illness.

Maggie was a relatively recent member of the Society joining in 1994 but soon became an active member of the London Area, becoming its Secretary in January 2000 when work commitments obliged David Chapman to stand down.  More recently, she became the London Area delegate to RAIL, an umbrella organisation for railway societies in London and the south-east of England.

Her favourite Irish railway was the Tralee & Dingle.  She visited the area several  times and assembled a large number of photographs which she used as the basis of an illustrated talk on the line.  She gave the latest version of the talk to the Croydon branch of the Locomotive Club of Great Britain only five weeks before her death.  Several IRRS members  were  present  whom  little  knew that this would be the last occasion on which they saw her.

Her responsibilities as Secretary were discharged with efficiency, tact and good humour.  She was also of great help in the production of the London Area’s recent book on the Giant’s Causeway Tramway for she was a born proof reader and had a thorough knowledge of English grammar and construction.

Among her other activities, she was a member of the Bromley branch of the Stephenson Locomotive Society.  She was also a committed Christian and very active in the affairs of her local church in Bromley.

This kind, pleasant and helpful lady will be greatly missed and we send our condolences to her sons and family and also to her fiancé Derek Forbes.

Copyright © 2002 by Irish Railway Record Society Limited
Revised: January 07, 2004 .