My mother, Lillian Bickley, who has died aged 88, led a life dedicated to social justice, community and education.
As a social worker and lecturer at Goldsmiths College (now known as Goldsmiths, University of London) in south-east London, she counselled survivors and families affected by the 1981 New Cross fire. In 1975 she became one of the first family and school liaison officers, working out of Lambeth council. Determined to bridge divides and empower the communities she served, she was part of the group that guided the then Prince Charles on a tour of Brixton following the 1981 riots.
And as the aunt of Doreen Lawrence, she provided advice and support for the family following the racially motivated murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993. With Doreen, Lillian met Nelson Mandela, for whom she had campaigned tirelessly when he was imprisoned by the apartheid regime, on a trip to South Africa in 2006.
Born in Clarendon, Jamaica, to Rosetta May and Hepburne Crossfield, both farmers, Lillian went to school in Crooked River. She then attended Miss Walker’s sewing school in Kingston.
During this period Lillian met Roy Wilson, the father of her daughter Grace, born in 1957. The relationship did not last, and while Lillian wanted to raise Grace herself, in 1960 she was persuaded to leave her in the care of her paternal grandmother, so that she could travel to the UK to find work. Grace joined her mother in London in 1964.
On arrival, Lillian moved in with her sister Ruby in Brockley, south-east London, and got a job at the HS Whiteside chocolate factory in Camberwell.
Lillian met Edgar Bickley, then in the merchant navy and later a building contractor, at a local shebeen (speakeasy), and they married in 1966. Together, they formed a trailblazing mixed-race couple at a time when interracial relationships faced considerable societal challenges.
As a skilled seamstress, Lillian soon carved out a career in the vibrant fashion scene of London in the 1960s and 70s, working for designers such as Ossie Clark and Barbara Hulanicki of Biba. Through Clark, she worked on costumes for Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones.
In 1973 she studied social work at Goldsmiths College. Following graduation she became a family and school liaison officer, before returning to Goldsmiths to lecture on the social and community work course (1979-84). There, Lillian was also known for running the popular international food fair.
Lillian’s commitment to community service defined much of her life. She was involved in the early days of the Notting Hill carnival, working with the set-up committee, and held fundraisers for the striking miners and their families.
In the mid-80s, Lillian and Edgar moved to Florida, primarily to ease Edgar’s arthritis. Lillian found employment at the Florida Institute of Technology University Library, working her way up to head librarian before her retirement in 2008.
Edgar died in 2014. Lillian returned to the UK in 2018, settling in Deal, Kent.
She is survived by Grace, her three children with Edgar, Sam, Tracy and me, and her grandchildren, Edgar, Hugo, Freddie, Cassius and Blue.
