Sheila Leslie-Miller - An inspiring Woman

Sheila was never happier than when she was in the company of family and friends, whether it was a family get together or a weekend away in Skegness or Shropshire with the girls from Kibworth Golf Club. She also made friends wherever she went, on the bus or walking through the village always keeping her family informed of what was going on.

Sport played a huge part in her life. At Wyggeston Grammar School she became captain of the school netball team, and having started playing golf at 16, she reached the heady heights of a 3 handicap. If you ever played golf with or against her you know that she followed the rules by the book, woe betide you if you ever wanted to finish your putt out of turn!

She also loved tennis, possessing her late husband Freddy’s passion for the game and holding countless jumble sales and coffee mornings to raise enough money to buy nets for Kibworth Tennis Club.

She embraced and loved the village, the district and its community. When she arrived in Kibworth in 1966 she became a home economics teacher, a post which she proudly held for over 20 years. She was only the second ever lady parish councillor for Kibworth Beauchamp and in her own words, she always tried to do what she considered to be best for the village in the circumstances that prevailed. If there was ever a pothole, a loose manhole cover, a bulging wall, a streetlamp not working or an overflowing bin mum would be on it like a shot.

Over the years her district roll of honour as a volunteer amounted to 20 different fields of activity. As well as teaching, golf, tennis and Beauchamp Parish Council already mentioned, they included Market Harborough District Council, the East Midlands Rail Forum, Education Foundation, the District Sports Association, Citizen’s Advice Bureau, Trustee Of The Foxton Inclined Plane Trust, Kibworth Art Lovers Society, instigator of Market Harborough Festival Of Boats, Old Union Canal Society, Women’s Institute Member, Kibworth Burial Committee.

Sheila was a person of strong family and moral values, believing that people should always mind their manners and treat others as they would want to be treated.

 

Dear Editor
♦ Sheila Leslie-Miller
A note to place on record in the Chronicle the passing, in the latter part of 2018, of Sheila Leslie-Miller, (late of Cross Bank House and Rectory Lane, Kibworth Beauchamp) who, whilst contributing immensely to the community in a legion of areas, was further notable as only the second lady parish councillor ever on Kibworth Beauchamp Parish Council (for 24 years), as well as being a district councillor (Independent) for Kibworth ward on Harborough District Council. A most informative interview with Sheila, conducted by Michael Pearce in 1996, which appeared in the Chronicle issue 181, can be viewed here.

Roger Garratt
Issue 408
January 2019