Obituaries for Western Telegraph April 15 2015

Haverfordwest

MR Roy Davies passed away peacefully at Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest on March 7.

He was 85 years old.

He was born in Little Haven in 1929, and had an older brother Alan (who predeceased him) and two sisters, Monica and Rosalind. He was educated in Broad Haven School before carrying out an apprenticeship with Loosemore’s Electricals, Haverfordwest, where he trained as an electrician. At 18 years of age he carried out two years national service in the RAF.

On his return to Pembrokeshire, he joined the GPO as a linesman, before becoming a telephone engineer. BT took over the GPO, and he remained with them until his retirement.

He also carried out electrical repair work for many people during his lifetime.

He joined the Royal Observer Corps, then the Air Training Corps where he trained cadets for approximately 37 years. He was the commanding officer of 948 Squadron, Haverfordwest for many years. This was voluntary work, and he was recognised for it by the Town Council who held a small celebration for him on his retirement.

During his later years, he began delivering talks on Pembrokeshire to such organisations as the Round Table, Lions, Womens Institute and so forth. He was very popular, and was invited back on many occasions.

He married Lilian in 1952, and had two children, Jane and Jeremy.

He was a hard working man and a good father who provided for the family, and was always there to support them.

He had a wicked sense of humor, and never missed the opportunity to crack a joke or laugh about something.

There are too many anecdotes to tell about him, suffice to say many people will chuckle to themselves when they think of him.

He will be greatly missed by the entire family, and all who knew him.

A church service was held at St Martins Church, Haverfordwest on March 16, followed by interment at City Road Cemetery, Haverfordwest.

Officiating was Father Marcus Zipperlen.

The bearers were son Mr Jeremy Davies (son); Mr John Kilcoyne (son-in-law); Mr Daniel Davies and Mr Robert Kilcoyne (grandsons).

The eulogy prepared by Mr Jeremy Davies was read by Fr Zipperlan. A poem was read at the graveside by Mr Robert Kilcoyne.

Left to mourn are Mrs Lilian Davies (wife); Mrs Jane Kilcoyne (daughter) and her family John, Jemma, Laura, Robert, Matthew, Lewis, Chloe and Jamie. Mr Jeremy Davies (son) and his family Daniel, Kelly, Julie, Stacey, Ieuan, James, Lily-may and Lottie. Rosalind (sister) and her family.

Unable to attend Monica Hester and her family (sister).

The funeral arrangements were carried out by Mr Roy Folland and Son of Haverfordwest, with professionalism and dignity.

Donations in lieu may be sent to The RAF Association, 117 Longborough Road, Leicester LE4 5ND.

Mr P C Pickering

Pembroke Dock

MR Percy Charles Pickering formerly of London Road, Pembroke Dock passed away at Apley Lodge, Pembroke Dock on February 15.

He was 95.

Originally from Bow, London, Percy was an ex Royal Marine SGT, having served in various places during WWII. He was injured while serving in Malaya, and eventually invalided out in 1944.

His first job after WWII was with Bowlings, Pembroke Dock as a French polisher, then with the Admiralty Police at Brawdy Air Base, the Dockyard in Pembroke Dock, Firth Cleveland Factory and finally Castlemartin Range as a warden in the Control Tower.

His main interests were his family with whom he lived with for 26 years after his wife, Gladys Irene Pickering passed away in 1988.

He enjoyed reading Western’s and crime stories, watching films on tapes, DVD’s and listening to music.

The family left to mourn and principal mourners are Pam Carroll (daughter); Dave Carroll (son-in-law); Daniel (grandson); Cheryl (granddaughter); Keane (great grandson); Reigan (great granddaughters) and nephews Michael, Paul and Colin.

The funeral service was held at Parc Gwyn Crematorium and was officiated by Rev Caroline Mansell.

Donations for Apley Lodge c/o E C Thomas and Son, Zoar Chapel Funeral Home, Llanteg, Narberth, who also carried out the funeral arrangements.

Mr A G Phillips

Hook

ARTHUR George Phillips of Hook died on March 24 at Williamston Nursing Home after a short illness aged 87.

George was a well-loved and respected former schoolmaster, with many connections in the County, especially through sport.

He was born in 1928 at Pontrhydyfen, between Neath and Aberavon. His father Bert Phillips was a mechanical and electrical engineer in the South Wales coal field. His mother Mary Jane Hill took care of the home. George was the youngest of four, all of whom have now passed away at the same age of 87.

Sadly, George’s mother died at an early age in 1937 when he was aged just nine. Thereafter, he spent a couple of years moving around various mining communities in digs with his father. In 1939, Bert was moved to Hook to look after the colliery. They were initially billeted with Lewis and Fanny Hutchings in a house opposite the cricket field. However in 1943 Bert married again to Nora Griffiths, an infant teacher at Hook School. Bert was one of the last to leave the colliery when it closed in 1948, the final pit to close in the Pembrokeshire coalfield. He died in 1957, but Nora lived on for many years and was loyally supported by George during that time.

George attended Haverfordwest Grammar School, where he excelled at sport, becoming Victor Ludorum twice in 1945 and 1946.

He then did his National Service in the Inniskilling Dragoon Guards – a Northern Irish Regiment, where he was selected to keep an eye out for Field Marshall Montgomery’s son, who was serving at the same time. After initial training at Brecon, he learnt how to drive a tank at Catterick. Following this he was posted to Germany for two years to BAOR camps at Paderborn, Munster and Cologne.

In 1948 he was sent to Berlin during the time of the airlift, when Cold War tensions were at their height.

He became a PT instructor, which would stand him in great stead in later life.

Following National Service, George trained as a teacher at Trinity College, Carmarthen.

His diploma was as a Primary Teacher with Advanced Physical Education. He started teaching on supply in 1951 at Barn Street in Haverfordwest, with stints at Neyland, Camrose and Llanstadwell.

In 1952 he joined the staff of the Secondary Modern School in Haverfordwest, which had only opened the previous year, and where he taught less able children and games. He later completed a further diploma at Barry College of Education in the teaching of handicapped children.

It was during his teacher training that George started courting his future wife, Margaret Pauline Warlow of Hook. She was the great love of his life and they spent many happy times together.

Margaret also taught at the Secondary Modern, in her case Geography. They were married in 1957 at St Jerome’s Church, Llangwm. They continued to work together at the same school throughout their careers. They remained at the Secondary Modern until comprehensive education arrived in Haverfordwest, when they moved to Tasker Milward, George as Head of Department for Remedial Teaching and Margaret as Senior Mistress with responsibility for all the girls in the school. They made many friends on the staff of both schools and continued to meet them socially long after retirement and until recently.

Many of their former pupils would make themselves known while they were out and about the county, expressing the great regard they had for them both as teachers and influences on their lives. During their younger years together, they formed a youth club in Hook, the trips from which are still fondly remembered by some to this day. George also served on the Youth Advisory Committee for Pembrokeshire County Council.

They were fortunate enough to enjoy over 27 years of retirement together, before Margaret passed away suddenly in 2013. In those years they continued to travel widely in Europe, which they had been doing since the 1950s, when it was much less easy and popular than it is today.

They also spread their wings and visited the USA, Canada, South Africa, Thailand and Australia. They were very much at home in their bungalow in Hook, where they had lived since 1960.

George’s second love was rugby. He played locally for Haverfordwest and Llangwm until his last game at the age of 38. He founded a youth team at Haverfordwest in the 1960s, which was not only the first in Pembrokeshire, but also one of the few in the whole of Wales at that time.

As a consequence the fixtures were often glamorous against the likes of Neath, Swansea and Llanelli. A highly successful reunion evening was held some years ago at Haverfordwest RFC, organised by former players Phil Morgan and Hughie Williams, where George was the guest of honour.

In 1967, George qualified as an official WRU referee and continued to referee matches in the West Wales leagues until the mandatory retirement age of 50. He was selected to play for Wales referees vs French referees in Paris, but the news of his selection was never communicated and so he never did get his cap. He was a huge supporter of Neath RFC and latterly the Ospreys.

As a younger man George played cricket for Hook, becoming vice-captain under Gordon Rees and acting as secretary for a number of years in the 1970s. However, his second sport was golf. He joined Haverfordwest Golf Club in 1970 and only recently resigned when he could no longer find a partner to play with, all of his former players having retired or passed on. He spent many years as part of the Sunday morning fiddle-up club, which had developed the most tortuous means of winning or losing 5p known to man. It kept a bunch of like-minded individuals very happy and created much good comradeship, which extended to several golf tours together. He met some wonderful friends there who kept him going for longer than he would have otherwise lasted on the course.

Notably he had his only hole-in- one at the age of 78.

George held strong religious beliefs. He rang the church bell at St Jerome’s, Llangwm for any years and attended regularly at Hook Gospel Mission. He was a member of Cleddau Lodge.

In his later years, George had a long battle with cancer.

He had a bowel cancer operation in Withybush in 2008 that was entirely successful and he regained his health.

Last year he had a lung cancer operation at Morriston Hospital, which again was carried out successfully. During his convalescence and particularly after the death of his wife, George had wonderful support from their relatives in Hook and indeed from many others in the village.

However, he was recently diagnosed with a brain tumour which was one challenge too far.

They had one son, Mark, who survives them and lives in Twickenham, with his wife Karen. On George’s mother’s side he is survived by a cousin Margaret Evans who lives in Yorkshire. From his sister Gwen’s family there are two nieces Jean and Anne and a nephew Bob, who live in Canada and California with their children. Connie Warlow (sister-in-law); Andy Warlow (nephew) and Katie and Charlotte Warlow (greatnieces; Louise James (niece); Alun and Susan Jones (cousins); Nick and Rhianne Jones and family (cousins); Cedric and Rolly Davies (cousins); Lilla Watts (cousin); Bob and Betty Harlow (nephew); Martin and Mair Evans, Bernie Wellham, Peter and Pauline Edwards, Phil Morgan, Hughie and Margaret Williams, Evan and Anne Martin, Anne Wicks, Mary Ferguson, Peggy Colnet, Clive and Sian John, Mervyn Hopkins, Andy and Janet King, Steve Woods, the Vicar and Congregation of St Jerome’s, Llangwm, the Congregation of Hook Gospel Mission, the staff of Withybush Hospital, the staff of Morriston Hospital and the staff of Williamston Nursing Home, members of the teaching staff and pupils of the Secondary Modern and Tasker Milward.

The funeral took place at Narberth Crematorium on March 13. George requested no flowers, rather donations to Paul Sartori Foundation, 31 Haven Road, Haverfordwest, SA67 1DU.

Miss M Thomas

Pembroke Dock

MISS Marion Thomas of Pembroke Street, Pembroke Dock passed away at Morriston Hospital, Swansea on March 6 at the age of 74.

The family left to mourn are Thelma June Thomas (sister); Glyn Thomas (brother); Ronald Thomas (brother); Rozaline Thomas (sister-in-law); Brian Thomas (brother); Colin Thomas (nephew); Ryan Thomas (nephew); Adrian Ronald Thomas (nephew); Mark Anthony (Thomas, nephew); David Ben Thomas (nephew); Raymond Thomas (nephew).

The service was held at Bethel Baptist Chapel, Pembroke Dock prior to interment at Llanion Cemetery.

It was officiated by Rev M Dave.

Donations for Bethel Baptist Chapel, Pembroke Dock are c/o E C Thomas and Son, Zoar Chapel Funeral Home, Llanteg, Narberth SA67 8QH, who also carried out the funeral arrangements.