An “amazing” grandfather who ran pubs for a decade and wrote a popular newspaper column has died aged 86.
Stuart Barton passed away from pneumonia at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford on Monday night.
He had been there for 12 weeks after breaking a hip in a fall but became increasingly ill.
His widow Dee told KentOnline: “We had not expected him to pass away but he had become very poorly.”
Mr Barton was born in Hawkhurst and for a period in his adult life lived in Scotland.
He had lived in Ashford over the last 36 years, since being in a relationship with Dee.
The couple married in the early 2010s.
They ran the Victoria pub in the town’s Victoria Road from 1997 to 1999, and then The Oranges in Apsley Street from 1999 to 2007.
But Mr Barton was multi-skilled in his working life, also being a photographer for newspapers in Worthing and contributing to The Sun.
He was also an author, and was behind several books including Castles in Britain and The Genius of William Hogarth, about the 18th century British artist.
In addition he wrote The Human Swap Shop, which was about wife swapping.
He was also a skilled wood turner plus a jazz musician in a duo called Stuart and Mad Andy in Ashford over two decades until 2005.
Mr Barton was best known over the last decade as a columnist for the KM Group’s Kentish Express newspaper.
He would discuss life in Ashford, hold local authorities to account and had an in-depth knowledge of the town’s history.
Mrs Barton said: “He was an amazing man.
“People also loved his column in the Kentish Express. When he was ill people would keep asking me when he was coming back to write it.
“He did still try when he was unwell but could not manage it any more.”
KM Group managing editor and former Express editor Robert Barman said: “Stuart was a regular letter writer and his thoughts were well-written and considered enough to turn into a weekly column, which proved very popular with readers (but less so with politicians).
“His many expressions of distaste – driven by a desire to see the best for his town – were never rooted in malice and always tempered with good humour.
“On a personal level, Stuart was great company and very genial, even when he’d come into the office to complain about something being changed in his column.
“Our deepest condolences go out to Dee and family.”
Stuart and Dee Barton were together in their second marriages. Between them they had six children and eight grandchildren, from their previous relationships.
Details of the funeral are yet to be confirmed.
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