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Ron Britton – A Life of Family Devotion Ron was born George Ronald Britton on 4th July 1925 to Alice and George Britton in Rowley Regis, West Midlands. From a young age he preferred to be called “Ron”, possibly not to be confused with his father, but also, because he preferred its informality. Growing up in the so-called “black country” with its strong industrial heritage, Ron developed an interest in almost anything related to engineering and science; an interest that would later be reflected in many of his hobbies and activities. As a young man he developed a keen interest in flying and, with war looming; he hoped to join the RAF. Unfortunately, before he had chance to join, he received his call up papers and was conscripted into the army. It was here that he made several life-long friendships. Unfortunately, it was alos the beginning of his life-long struggle with hearing loss. On returning from India after the war, he married Beatrice Aileen, who preferred to be known as 'Betty'. They lived for many years in Smethwick with Betty’s mother. Soon their first child, Sally came along, who was born in 1955. Sally was followed three years later by Nicholas. A few years after the children were born,Ron and Betty decided that they would exchange their life in the town for one in the countryside. In the late sixties the family moved to a large wooden bungalow called “Woodcot” in the village of Shatterford, near to Bewdley. Over the following years Ron spent a great deal of his spare time and effort renovating the building and the surrounding grounds. Ron was a doting father and loving husband. He put his family before himself. He was one of those dads who spends time nurturing his children, not just providing for them. That could be anything from helping them with schoolwork, playing hide-and-seek around the house, and helping them to say their prayers before going to bed. His interest in technical and scientific things rubbed off particularly on Nicholas, as did his interest in playing the guitar. Every year, Ron took the family on holiday, usually to Spain, where they would spend a couple of weeks camping on the beach. While not exactly fluent in foreign languages, Ron was not scared to learn a bit of Spanish, French, and German so the family could get by. The results were occasionally hilarious for the family, such as an occasion in Spain when he went to a shop to buy "pies", only to discover it was the spanish word for pigs trotters. Thankfully, he was never deterred by such mishaps. That was rather typical of Ron. He took interest in many things and was always happy to have a go at something new. He also loved making things. He once built a boat called “Sandpiper” so the family could have holidays on the canals. He had no experience of boat building, so he got some advice from the boatyard and just got on with it. Whatever he was doing, he liked to share his enthusiasm, particularly with his family. Having spent many years working in factories, Ron decided to re-train as a radio engineer. He gained his qualifications, and was recruited by the Home Office to work on radio systems for the Police and Civil defence. Needlesss to say, he found that much more interesting, as he loved technical things. he also made several friends there and stayed in touch with them after his retirement. Ron was a very patient man. He always had time for his family and wanted the best for them. He was uncomfortable with any kind of family disharmony. He was a genuine family man. It seemed that nothing gave him more pleasure than seeing his family succeed in reaching their aspirations. His compassion extended to the family pets too, of which there were many over the years. When one of the cats went missing, he spent several days going roiund the village to find out if anybody had seen the poor animal. That was Ron's nature; the little things mattered to him too. Ron also showed a lot of resilience later in life when he had to cope with various health problems, including quite severe deafness and problems with his back and legs. Despite these problems, he was determined not to let his life be ruled by them. There were days when he was clearly suffering, but he never became bad-tempered over it. He was always the same, wanting to hear about the family and his friends, and interested in their welfare, as well as ready to crack a few jokes. Following their retirements, Ron and Betty moved to Kinlet. Sadly, Betty died in 2002. Ron was deeply saddened by his loss. He refused to rearrange many of the things in his home, preferring instead to leave them just as Betty had left them. This was because he had a deep fondness for his wife, of whom he liked to be constantly reminded. His family meant everything to him. He was always delighted to see them, and happy to spend time with them, even when he wasn't in the best of health. He wanted to be a burden to nobody. In fact, one of the phrases he used most often was "Don't worry about me, I'm alright". Of course, the family did worry aout him in the last few months of his life. How could anybody not be concerned to see someone precious to them struggling to manage each day. It's a strange thing that even when we know someone is likley to pass away, we are never really prepared for the loss. There is always that unavoidable feeling of disorientation and sadness when a loved one is taken away. A point of reference has been lost too, because our parents are part of the definition of who we are. This feelng of loss is especially strong when it is the last person in the family of that generation. At times like this we realise how important the older generations are to us. They are a source of stability when the younger generation has lost its way. We should not underestimate the benefits that come from widom refined by age. Ron, despite living on his own in his later years, became the hub for the family and his network of friends. He is missed very much. He was a faithful and loving husband, a good friend, a doting grandfather and a brilliant Dad.