TRIBUTES have been paid to a popular bowler and stalwart of Stanford United Services Bowls Club, Gladys Bibby, who was buried last week, writes Frazer Clark.

More than 200 friends and relatives, along with old pals from Tilbury and Thurrock Council – where Gladys worked for many years as a social admin clerk – packed St John’s Church in Tilbury. She was buried in Chadwell St Mary cemetery after losing her battle with cancer.

Gladys, who is survived by well known former borough Councillor Medlock Bibby, had served as both secretary and lady captain at the Stanford club.

The club’s Sheila Hughes said: “Gladys was such a popular person at the club. She had a great personality and everyone liked her.

“She was also brilliant when it came to getting funding for the club because she knew how to get grants and was a very organised person.”

Gladys’ fundraising efforts helped refit the kitchen and extension at the club, install mens’ toilets and furnish much of the building.

Her skills and contacts raised more than £103,000. But Gladys, who had played netball in her schooldays, helped out a lot on the secretarial side of her husband’s career in local politics.

She was also an administrative mainstay when he and the tug of war team he ran brought pride to Thurrock in national competitions in the 1960s. Gladys leaves three grown-up children – Denise Moon, Shane Bibby and Diane Scharf, who now lives in Austria – six grandchildren and one great grandchild who was born earlier this year.