Obituary: Florence Dale

With deep sadness, we have to announce the death of Comrade Florence Dale of Wembley Branch, who was better known to many party members by the friendlier name of Queenie.

She joined the party in 1950, becoming first a member of Ealing Branch and later helping to found the new branch at Wembley. Queenie was not a speaker or a writer, but she played her full part in the backroom jobs without which the more “glamorous” work in the party could not carry on.

Much of her work was on the party’s Library Committee, looking after our collection of books, and —most essential—seeing that each month the SOCIALIST STANDARD went out to the long list of postal subscribers. She also served on the Head Office Social Committee and on many working committees in her branch.

Queenie was an active, warm, humane person who has left many friends in the party to grieve that she will no more listen to the music, and hike over the Downs, which she loved so well. She worked hard for Socialism and we shall carry on that work, because we know that that is what she would have wished.

To Queenie’s husband, Comrade Leslie Dale, also of Wembley-Branch, we offer our sincere, comradely sympathy. We share with him the loss of a loyal friend and a staunch comrade. We shall remember her for a very long time.