Ray Bilby, who died on February 12th, 2017 first came to Ross-on-Wye as a young child, but made the area his lifelong home.

Ray was one of the first children to be moved to Ross when thousands of children were evacuated from London in the early part of World War II. He was just eight-years-old when he left the capital city, but it was not too long afterwards that his parents were able to join him; his father started working at Ranks in Mitcheldean, making special cameras for the Royal Navy.

At first, Ray attended Lea Primary School and also attended the church choir there. He was successful at winning one of only two scholarships to Ross Grammar School. However, he moved to East Dean Grammar School after his parents started working in the Forest of Dean.

At this time Ray’s life-long passion for sport began and he played rugby for Drybrook Rugby Club as a teenager. He was one of the first students to study at Hereford Technical College and after a successful apprenticeship he won awards for forging and welding at the Three Counties Show and in the Cotswolds.

In the early 1950s, Ray joined the RAF as a Leading Aircraftsman and, for most of his service, he was based at RAF Edzell in Angus in Scotland.

One of his most memorable career highlights, as his family and friends heard many times in later years, was playing for a combined Forces XV on the famous pitch at Murrayfield in Edinburgh.

Returning to Ross he continued playing rugby at both Ross Rugby Club and Gloucester Rugby Club, and he continued to support both clubs for many years afterwards,

In 1955 he married Ross-born June Wellington and they had two children, Christine, a teacher, and Martin, who died in 2015. Alex, their grandson, is a teacher in Yorkshire.

Ray continued working in the family business, producing ornate iron work for country houses and churches, including a sweeping staircase at Cubberly near Ross, and structural work for Rank Xerox and Woodville, until the business closed after a family death.

Community life was also very important to Ray, he became a sidesman at St Mary’s Church in Ross and was an active member of Ross Round Table, a founding member of Ross Lions Club and later a member of Ross Rotary Club. He was also a Parish Councillor in Brampton Abbotts and was successful in helping with several projects.

He continued his sporting interests by taking up squash and cricket but, after he retired and moved to Brampton Abbotts, he found a new sporting passion - bowls.

At Ross Bowls Club he played competitively until last summer often appearing for the county, both indoors and outdoors. He was a Club Captain and even played for a Welsh Vice Presidents team, and that was despite being a serious England Rugby supporter. He was still able to play skittles until just weeks before his death.

The funeral of Ray Bilby took place on Friday, March 3rd at St Mary’s Church, Ross-on-Wye. For more information contact Abbottsfield Funeral Directors.