Former Southwark Councillor Marjorie Henriquez believed in equality for everyone
Former Southwark Councillor Marjorie Henriquez, who died in January, aged 94, helped many people unpaid and without reward and touched many lives.
She was born to Edna and Lisle Browne in Georgetown, St Vincent in September 1926.
Her father was a government agricultural overseer. The family travelled the Grenadines before settling in Union Island where Marjorie became an English teacher.
She was known to friends as HeFe – and also nicknamed Pin because she was so slim.
In her late 20s she moved to Curaçao and married Modesto Antonio Henriquez and in 1965 they settled in the UK.
She started working for London Transport as a bus conductress but took early retirement to care for her ailing mother.
Marjorie joined the Labour Party in Southwark after moving to Peckham in 1986. She believed in equality for everyone, and always took great pride in her job, and in being able to help others.
She was a nominee for Southwark’s woman of the year award – and was also nominated to be Mayor of Southwark. But in 1994 she had to retire due to ill health.
She was determined to continue playing a part in her local community, so ran the estate community hall for older residents as well as organising funding for local activities for young families until poor health reduced her abilities further.
Marjorie’s love of gardening, playing the piano and the arts never ceased – even in the final weeks of her life.
Her son and daughter Ronald and Jacqueline said: “We are very lucky and grateful that she had such a long and full life with us all despite her ongoing battle with ill health, and we will cherish our memories with her forever.
She was an amazing mother, a wonderful grandmother and a wonderful presence in the lives of her family and friends.”
She is survived by two sons and a daughter, Dennis Browne, Ronald Henriquez and Jacqueline Henriquez, and three granddaughters, Al-marni Khan, T’keyah Henriquez Cole and Akilah Browne.
Among those at the funeral on March 8 at St Giles Church, Camberwell were Mayor Cllr Barrie Hargrove and the Mayoress Ms Mary Doherty