Tributes paid to Orsett stalwart Ray (From Thurrock Gazette)

Tributes paid to Orsett stalwart Ray

7:20am Saturday 28th April 2012 in News

ONE of Orsett’s most dedicated volunteers has died.

Ray Maywood, of High Road, was the press contact for the Orsett Show for 12 years.

He was also responsible for getting Heart FM to cover the show for the last three years.

Ray had lived in Orsett for 46 years with his wife, Ann, and was fiercely proud of the village.

Ann said: “Ray loved the Orsett Show, he liked meeting all the people and really enjoyed the day itself.

“Everybody involved was always very appreciative of what he had done.

“He was such a man for details, it had to be right for Ray before he put it down.

“He took real pride in the village too and he thoroughly enjoyed taking part in Orsett In Bloom.”

Ray died at Basildon Hospital on Friday, April 13, after a short illness.

Since then, the couple’s home has been flooded with cards from people keen to share their memories of him.

Ann said: “People in the village were devastated, he will be missed by everyone.

“Ray was always there for everyone, if he could help you, he would.”

Orsett Show’s honorary director, Clive Folkard, said Ray will be “sorely missed”.

He said: “Ray was a true gentleman, there aren’t many around like him now.

“He really looked after everyone and was absolutely brilliant to work with.

“It was unbelievable what he managed to do for the show with the money we had and he was so precise.

“He was a real rock and there’s almost no way we will find someone who will be able to do what he did.

“He really will be sorely missed, this has shaken us all.”

Ray, who was retired, liked to keep his age a mystery.

Before he retired, he worked as a training officer at Shell in Coryton and did his national service in the RAF Regiment.

He and Ann were married for 49 years, have two sons together, Paul and Craig, and a grandson, Jack.