Mel Dyke Obituary, Death Cause – It’s such a terrible shock to learn that the tireless Mel Dyke has passed away. But what a life! This Barnsley woman leaves behind an incredible legacy. A dedicated advocate for Yorkshire who is also a teacher, author, mentor, and patron. Intelligent, kind, humorous, and unyielding. Mel was a wonderful friend to a large number of us, and she will be greatly missed by all of us. RIP.
According to Graham Walker’s sources within the family, she suffered a stroke but ultimately passed away in the cherished community she called home. Mel, who was born in Barnsley and lived in Staincross, has left behind two children, namely Tim and Stephanie, five grandchildren, namely George, Amelia, Charlie, India, and Benny, and five great grandchildren, namely Herbert, Rupert, Amy, Barnaby, and Jonny.
She was the daughter of Mary and Benny Robinson, both of whom had spent their entire lives working in the mines in Barnsley. Mary and Benny Robinson not only celebrated their son Derek Robinson’s CBE in 1979 but also Mel’s MBE in 2019. In recognition of her many years of dedication to the cultural life of the community, she was awarded a place on the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
She was a member of the steering group and played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Experience Barnsley Museum, which won an award and is located in the Town Hall. She is an honorary patron of the Barnsley Museums and Heritage Trust.
She served as the chair of the Board of Trustees of the Lamproom Theatre, during which time she oversaw the restoration of a building that had been abandoned into a community theater. This building continues to make an essential contribution to the life of local people by providing better access to the arts and opportunities for greater participation in them.
She founded the charitable organization Arts in Action in 2007, in response to the closing of facilities for the education of the arts in Yorkshire, with the intention of promoting learning throughout one’s life. Arts in Action is a program that uses the arts as a springboard to enable young people take the initiative to work to maximize their own potential by increasing their knowledge of successful role models and by getting them involved with those role models.
As a retired educator, she described her reaction as being “absolutely thrilled and shocked” when she was recognized. It was a great testament to the unassuming and unassuming manner in which she lived her life and praised the accomplishments of others in Barnsley. Mel, as everyone who was close to her knew, was just as motivational as the people about whom she wrote. She was a powerhouse, a real-life dynamo, and she championed Barnsley and the people who lived there.
