Roy died on the 11th March and, on being asked about an obituary, I came to the conclusion that nothing would capture his spirit and attitude to life more than the following words, written by our elder son Ian.
“On remembering conversations with my father it seemed that, be it events in his childhood, his National Service in the RAF, to his long career in the shoe trade, the house moves, being made redundant several times, working on the markets, and going to work in India in his sixties; he met all these events not with trepidation, but head on, viewing each as a challenge and a new adventure to be taken on.
He had this outlook socially as well. In the various moves to different locations, he soon made friends and enjoyed being part of the community.
It was this positive attitude that helped those around him face the inevitable outcome of his illness, always maintaining that if he wasn’t going to beat it, he was going to do his best to last longer than the doctors gave him. An attitude he maintained to the very last day.”
He loved all social occasions, particularly with the family, where his sense of fun came to the fore. He was a keen bowls player and also took up bell ringing at the parish church whilst we lived in Norfolk.
I know he will be sadly missed not only by us, but all who knew him.