Tributes to Liberal candidate and church warden

​Tributes have been paid to a globe-trotting church warden who was passionate about education and politics.
Michael Starky. Photo supplied by family.Michael Starky. Photo supplied by family.
Michael Starky. Photo supplied by family.

​Michael Starky, the son of a vicar, was born on August 13 1936 in north London.

He attended Arden House prep school in Warwickshire and later St John’s School, in Leatherhead, Surrey, and served his national service in Malaya from 1954 to 1956 and met nurse Jenny Godfrey in the church choir upon his return.

They were married in 1964 and lived in Sevenoaks in Kent, where their daughter, Sarah, was born in 1967.

Michael Starky. Photo supplied by family.Michael Starky. Photo supplied by family.
Michael Starky. Photo supplied by family.

The family moved to Kenya where Michael taught in a school, and their son, Jeremy, was born there in 1968, and the family enjoyed two years.

On their return, the family intended to move to Uganda, but at the last minute the Foreign Office stopped them as Idi Amin took power, and they moved to Orby, where their youngest son James was born in 1974.

Over the years, Michael lived in villages including Swineshead, East Kirkby, Minting, and Langton by Horncastle. He taught at Boston College and became involved with local politics, serving as an East Lindsey district councilor from 1973 to 1979.

He also stood for two general elections as a parliamentary candidate for the Liberal party in 1974 and 1979 against the sitting Conservative MP, Sir Peter Tapsell.

Michael later became involved with UKIP locally.

Michael was always involved in his children’s education, and ran the Baumber Primary School PTA school meals scheme, ensuring children had hot dinners.

Later Michael married Valerie Stonehouse, a teacher at Banovallum, and after both taught in Korea, Morocco, and Abu Dhabi they made their home in Wood Enderby, West Keal and finally, Skendleby.

Michael was church warden at West Keal for a number of years.

In later years Michael suffered with Parkinson’s disease and died peacefully at home on March 15 at the age of 87.

He will be deeply missed by his family and friends.

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