Our dad Ray died on 25th April 2019 at the age of 84 following a history of heart disease.  Born in Australia and raised in an orphanage there, dad travelled to England in the sixties, first living and working in London and then, after meeting and marrying our mum Margaret, settled in Maidstone where we were raised.
Dad was a popular figure locally; we have fond memories of always meeting people in the street when we were out with him. He had worked at Marley Flooring, the Post Office and more recently the Vine Medical Centre, where he had made many friends. Outside of work, dad was interested in local history (a regular at Maidstone Museum and a volunteer archaeologist) and he was a keen photographer and gardener. He trained as a photographic technician in Australia, working for Kodak, and at some point early in his career he had worked for renowned photographer Sir Cecil Beaton. He was always behind the camera! We have many many, many, many, photos – thanks to him.   
Whilst dad was always meeting and greeting others in our neighbourhood, he remained very family focused – having never experienced family life himself. He doted on his grandchildren Emily and Hannah who were another excuse for many, many, many, many photos.
We will be saying goodbye to dad through an intimate and relaxed family-only service. He wasn’t keen on big groups or formal occasions – if you knew him, then you’ll know that he’d be sabotaging the formality of the occasion and trying to cause trouble in the back rows somewhere if we did anything else. If you would like to share a memory and raise funds for the British Heart Foundation in his name, please do so here.
With Best wishes, Angela, Vicky and Margaret.