Margaret Boulton, mayor of Marlborough in 2002-03, died aged 88 on 29 February. A lifelong member of the Liberal party, she was an active Town Councillor for several years, a County Councillor for Wiltshire and member of the Police Authority.
Margaret played a major role in the building of the new Savernake Hospital in 2005. It was the end of a 13-year fight by councillors, health professionals and local campaigners and made sure Marlborough continued to have its own cottage hospital.
She was heavily involved in raising £30,000 to help gain backing for the campaign. As the then Mayor of Marlborough Bill Cavill said: “It is a terrific credit to the tenacity of our County Councillor, Margaret Boulton, who has spent so much time fighting for this project. This is a truly special day for the people of Marlborough and its surrounding area.”
Margaret was known as being a force for good and an inspiring communicator dedicated to equality, justice and local community well-being. She believed passionately in public accountability and often expressed those views in her letters to the local press.
Local community issues, politics and family were always central to Margaret’s life. She brought up five children along with her husband Ray, their main sadness being the death of their daughter Helen when she was 8 years old. She was devoted to her six grandchildren who loved her being their Nana. She will be deeply missed by her family and friends.
Jim Horsley, son-in-law
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