Botham halts walk celebration to be by mother’s bedside for final hours

Sir Ian, 56, called off planned celebrations on Saturday for the end of his latest 150-mile charity walk from Glasgow to London to allow him to go to the bedside of his critically ill mother, Marie.

The 85-year-old great-grandmother died on Saturday night at Yeovil District Hospital in Somerset, surrounded by her family.

Daughter Dale Knight, 55, told a local newspaper the death was still sinking in with the family.

“I always thought mum would reach her 100th birthday. She’s going to be really missed, there’s going to be quite a hole left with her gone,” she said.

Cricket-loving Mrs Botham was an active member of the local community and worked for the parish council and as a member of the Yeovil and District branch of the Royal British Legion.

Yeovil Without Parish Council chairman Barbara Strong, 84, said: “Marie’s death was unexpected. She was in hospital for something and her death was not connected with why she went in. It was very sudden and she passed very quietly with Ian there and the rest of the family.

“Marie was a parish councillor for at least 12-years and was very genuine in her work.

“She did a lot more than being a parish councillor, she was very involved with a great many organisations within the area and she is going to be sadly missed.

“She was quite a character. She had a terrific sense of humour and was quite sharp.

“She was very genuine about believing in what one did. She was constantly out at something or another.”

Mrs Strong added that Mrs Botham and her husband, Les, who died six years ago, were instrumental in building Sir Ian’s love of cricket.

“Marie and Les both encouraged Ian a great deal in his sport, Les was a sportsman, and he encouraged Ian a lot,” she said.

Originally from Bradford, Yorkshire, Mrs Botham met her husband during the Second World War, when she worked as a dental nurse.

Mr Botham’s job in the Fleet Air Arm took the family to Yeovil where he worked as a test engineer for Westlands after leaving the Navy.