Much-loved Worthing lollipop lady dies aged 62

Toni Gawn had manned the junction of Meadow Road and Ham Road for more than 20 years and remembered the name of everyone she met.

Bolstered by family and friends in the community, daughter Kirsty Gawn has launched a fundraising appeal for a memorial bench and already half the £1,300 needed has been raised.

Kirsty said: “I had a large amount of people suggesting that we create a JustGiving page to raise money to get a bench made in her memory. I have contacted Worthing Council and we are in the process of having a bench donated to a local park.

“A plaque has already been bought and will be placed on a tree where she spent 20 years helping people to cross the road.

“She was well known by all and there have been lots of lovely comments and memories on Facebook - mostly that she would always have a smile on her face and that she would remember the name of everyone she met, especially the people that she helped across the road.

“She was due to start back lollipopping in September after lockdown but in August got very poorly, very quickly and she died of heart and multiple organ failure, not Covid related.

“As you can imagine, we are all in shock. Our parents were due to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary in early January, she was also a month away from her 63rd birthday when she died.”

Visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/kirsty-gawn to make a donation.

Toni had three children and two grandchildren, and leaves behind her two sisters, both living in Worthing.

She has featured a number of times in the Herald, including in 2011, when people gave her CPR in the street after she suffered heart failure. She had just popped to the shop while her husband Phil was ordering them drinks at The Smugglers and collapsed in Brougham Road.

It was the quick thinking of bystanders that saved her life, as paramedic James Schmidt confirmed at the time. He said the few minutes before an ambulance crew’s arrival can be vital and praised the lady who gave Toni the best chance of survival by following the instructions of emergency call taker Carolyn Skull.

James attended with technician Larry Walker, paramedic Tamsin Netherwood and technician Chris Niall.

A few weeks later, Toni was reunited with them, as well as the two women who helped save her life, following an appeal in the Herald to find the passers-by who gave the vital first aid.

She was thrilled to meet Carollyn Marskell and Kate Fiorenzio-Falcone, who said they had been out walking the dog when they saw Toni lying on the ground.

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