'Generous spirited and passionate about helping others' - Tributes paid to former Mid Sussex Times reporter

Carolyn Robertson died aged 66 on Friday, October 11 after a short illness.

Born and brought up in Epsom, Surrey, her early years were spent in Beirut, where her father was posted to the British Embassy. Later, she was educated at the City of London Freemen’s School, where she was captain of the hockey team, before attending Manchester University, where she obtained a degree in Botany.

However, inspired by the great James Cameron, she went on to forge a career in journalism, cutting her teeth at the Sutton Herald, before she took on the role of senior reporter at the Horsham & Crawley offices of The Argus, and then progressing to Business Editor.

Her husband Rob McIntyre said: “We met whilst campaigning for Greenpeace and were married for 31 years. She remained passionate about the environment all her life and frequently challenged people about their views. She became a full time mother after our two daughters, Bryony and Catriona, were born in 1995 and 1996, returning to journalism in 2003 at the Mid Sussex Times in Haywards Heath, where she spent 11 happy years covering local stories and events, getting to know many people in the process.”

In 2014, she took voluntary redundancy and worked as a freelance journalist for a variety of clients in Sussex, before taking on a full time role as a copy editor for Medical News Today, a well-respected online health magazine.

Outside of her professional career, she immersed herself in the Balcombe community where she lived for 30 years. She loved contributing to village life and cared about people. She was area co-ordinator for Neighbourhood Watch, on the committee of the Balcombe Club, and a key member of the Fete committee. She steered Balcombe’s Parishes in Bloom entry for 3 years, winning us gold, and in 2012 was awarded MSDC Community Service Award for outstanding service to the community.

In 2020, she started volunteering at Haywards Heath Foodbank and worked tirelessly to organise the new warehouse, as well as delivering food parcels to people in need during the pandemic.

A passionate gardener, she was never happier than when she was digging in the garden, creating beauty in flower beds, both at home and also in Balcombe station gardens, where she volunteered with the community gardening group.

Mr McIntyre said: “Walking was another passion we shared, and something that brought her great joy was striding out on the South West Coast Path, where we managed to complete 360 miles out of the total 630 miles before the cancer suddenly appeared and stopped her in her tracks.

“She was generous spirited, insightful, passionate about helping others, quick to challenge prejudice, and feisty in her humour. She will be greatly missed by me, our two daughters and their partners, and the entire Balcombe community.”

Former Middy news editor Phil Dennett, 74, from Burgess Hill, said: "Carolyn was a strong-minded person and a fine reporter. Before joining the Middy she had gained great experience from working for the Evening Argus when it was a top-selling paper across Sussex, graduating to business reporter.

"Particularly interested in environmental matters and good human-interest stories, she had a great passion for accuracy and researching stories well. An old-school journalist in the best sense of the expression, she made a great contribution to the paper. "

Sussex Express editor Lesley Hixon worked with Carolyn during her final years at the Middy.

She said: "I am just so shocked and sorry she has gone. She was always so vital, such an intelligent and thoughtful woman.

"I content edited the Middy in her last years at the paper and her knowledge of the local area, her attention to detail and willingness to help me were unrivalled. She cared about the people she wrote about and understood her community completely. She is a huge loss."

A celebration of Carolyn’s life will take place at 2pm on Wednesday 6th November, in the Victory Hall in Balcombe.