Mrs M Strand

Johnston

THE sudden death in Withybush Hospital on August 17 of Mrs Megan Strand of The Vine, Johnston, caused shock and sadness throughout Pembrokeshire.

Wife of Mr Mervyn Strand, a stalwart of Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society for more than half a century and a well-known preacher in churches and chapels in every corner of the county, Megan actively supported her husband in everything he was involved in.

She was in her usual bright and cheerful spirits at the annual pre-Show Service at the County Show Pavilion on the Sunday evening, but was suddenly taken ill that night and passed away on Monday.

Her sudden death and her absence from the three-day show saddened the popular couple’s hosts of friends.

Megan was born in Barmouth and moved with her family to Haverfordwest as a girl, attending Tasker’s Girls’ Grammar School, before the family moved again to Barnsley before returning to Haverfordwest.

She joined the staff of the Post Office, training in Swansea and then came back to Pembrokeshire where she was employed for 22 years at the Haverfordwest Telephone Exchange. She rose to the position of Head Supervisor, which post she held for nine years with responsibility for around 100 staff.

Mervyn and Megan moved to The Vine where they established a village grocery business and Mervyn later bought the nearby 60-acre farm. Megan continued her work at Haverfordwest while Mervyn’s mother ran the shop and Mervyn operated a mobile grocery round, which brought great benefit, delivering free of charge to a wide area in and around Johnston and Haverfordwest. Megan was his loyal and constant helper in all he did, whether in the shop, on the farm, in an active role in Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society, the NFU or in his preaching. She was a popular President’s Lady when Mervyn held the Presidency in 1992 and also supported his role as a Show Director. When she retired she took over the running of the shop. A lifelong member of Ebenezer Church, Haverfordwest, she took a leading part in its activities and had been one of its team of organists.

To their shop customers Megan and Mervyn were friends as well as suppliers and were generous in their kind and practical help in time of need. Proud of their son Jonathan, his wife Stephanie and their three grandchildren, Thomas, Michael and Abi, Megan was a devoted mother and grandmother and her loss leaves a sad void among family and friends.

A capacity congregation in Ebenezer was testimony to the love and esteem in which Megan was widely held.

The service was officiated by former Minister, The Rev Martyn Evans, while the new Pastor, the Rev Jonathan Kirk, and a lifelong friend, Rev Canon Geoffrey Gwyther, read the lessons. Other ministers present were The Rev Graham Davies, The Rev Aled Jenkins and Mrs Val Petherick.

The principal mourners were: Mervyn Strand (husband), Jonathan and Stephanie Strand, (son and daughter- in-law), Thomas, Martin and Abi (grandchildren), Mr and Mrs John Lewis (brother and sister-in-law); sister Mrs Anne Howlett and husband Colin; aunt Mrs Hilda Harries and other relatives and friends too numerous to mention. The bearers at the church and at the interment at City Road Cemetery were Messrs John Munt, Roger Mathias, Brian Llewellyn (ex-Presidents of Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society) and Mr Christopher Richards (family friend). Donations for Ebenezer Church may be sent to Mr John Munt, 43, High Street, Haverfordwest, SA61 2BN. The funeral arrangements were carried out by Glyn Thomas and Son.

 

Mr J Pullin

Formerly of Tenby

MR John Pullin passed away on August 13. He was 75.

He was born in Bridgend.

He was Baptist Minister and had worked as a missionary in Brazil and was a former minister of Deer Park Baptist Church, Tenby and Cold Inn Baptist Church from 1979 to 1989.

The family left to mourn are his wife, three children and seven grandchildren. There will be a memorial service in Cardiff at Albany Road Baptist Church, Cardiff at 1pm on September 16 as the burial has already taken place in Brazil.

 

Mr N Gray

Pembroke Dock

THE death occurred, suddenly but peacefully, of Norman Gray, of Furzy Bank, Pembroke Dock on August 3 at the age of 80.

Mr Gray was a well-known figure in the town and beyond, in part thanks to his tireless work as chairman of the Pembrokeshire branch of the Parkinson’s Disease Society, with which he got involved during the many years he devotedly cared for his wife Mavis, who died in 2013 after suffering this devastating illness for more than 30 years.

He was born in Oldham, in Lancashire, and served an apprenticeship as a woodcutting machinist before taking on roles as a boat-builder and caravan park warden, which took him and his young family to Wales.

In the early 70s he began work for the CEGB at Burry Port Power Station and in 1976 transferred to Pembroke Power Station, where the family lived in Front Street, Pembroke Dock. Mr Gray became a familiar sight walking his pet dog, a striking chow-chow called Roscoe.

At the age of 59 Mr Gray changed careers completely and became a sessional worker with Dyfed Social Services – and those were among the happiest and most fulfilling years of his life. He was also actively involved as chairman of the Pembrokeshire Playschemes organisation, in conjunction with Barnardo’s, which offered activities for disadvantaged children in the county. Mr and Mrs Gray also acted as respite carers for vulnerable children through Barnardo’s and later went on to foster.

His interests were many and varied, although most were set aside as he cared for his increasingly frail wife in the years before her death, but he was passionate about industrial architecture and in particular railways and was a railway modeller, filling every spare scrap of paper in his home with complex designs for track layouts.

He was a theatre-lover and as a teenager had helped out backstage at Oldham Repertory Theatre meeting the likes of Dora Bryan and Eric Sykes, who were among his heroes. He was an avid reader and amateur artist.

During his RAF National Service he served in aircraft reconnaissance in Cyprus, Jordan and Aden and this imbued him with a life-long passion for travel, although sadly not much indulged in the wake of his wife’s illness.

Both Mr and Mrs Gray were long-times members of Bethany Chapel, now Pennar Community Church and it was here that the funeral was held on August 17.

The service was officiated by the Rev Elizabeth Squires, and daughter Fiona Phillips; granddaughter Aisling Phillips; the Rev Roger Hart and Mr Islwyn Bevan, treasurer of the Pembrokeshire branch of the Parkinson’s Disease Society all contributed to the proceedings.

The bearers were Andrew Manock and Antony Blinkhorn (nephews); David Olyott and Islwyn Bevan. Interment followed at Llanion Cemetery.

Principal mourners were daughters and sons-in-law Fiona and Mike Phillips and Joanne and Ian Scott; grandchildren Aisling Phillips and George Scott; Andrew Manock (nephew); Ann Wigley (sister-in-law); Phillipa and Chris Hough and daughter Jessica; Avril Wigley and Antony Blinkhorn (nieces and nephews and great -niece); Tracey O’Brien; representatives of the Pembrokeshire branch of the Parkinson’s Disease Society and Pennar Community Church together with many other family friends.

Donations to the Pembrokeshire branch of the Parkinson’s Disease Society, c/o funeral director John Roberts and Son, 51 Bush Street, Pembroke Dock, SA72 6AN, who also carried out the funeral arrangements.

 

Mr D S Howells

Letterston

MR David Saunders Howells (Sandy) of Station Road, Letterston passed away on July 16 at Withybush Hospital. He was 86.

Originally he was from Newport.

From the age of 14, Sandy spent working on local farms in Newport and Letterston.

He married Beryl in 1955.

Sandy then worked as an agent for the Britannic Insurance, prior to starting his own butchers van round, before moving to Letterston and opening his own butchers shop in 1966, this progressed onto the VG Stores, then Spar Stores until his retirement in 2007, where he and Beryl retired to Tyrrells in Letterston. In 1970 he built a larger shop which is still run by his family.

His main interests were his family, particularly his five grandsons. He was a member of Letterston Community Council for 45 years. He loved chatting to all who visited his shop.

Family left to mourn to mourn and principal mourners are wife Beryl Howells; son and daughter-in-law Gerwyn and Kaye Howells; daughter and son-in-law Marilyn and Martin Griffiths; grandsons Simon, Philip, Ryan, Rhys, Emyr and Lauren (partner); sisters May Leach, Olive Harries, Gwen Williams, Joyce Howells; sisters- in-law and brothers-inlaw Mrs Gwen Evans, Mr and Mrs Ken and Phyllis Davies, Mr Vivian and Mrs Caroline Morris also nephews, nieces and cousins too numerous to mention. Unable to attend sister – Mrs May Leach.

The bearers were Norton Williams, Richard Davies, Alfred Mathias and Bryan Griffiths.

The service was held on July 25 at Caersalem Baptist Chapel, Cilgwyn.

It was officiated by Rev Alwyn Daniels, Rev Geoffrey Eynon and a personal tribute by Babs Johnson.

Donations for the National Autistic Society (Pembrokeshire Branch) and Wales Air Ambulance c/o E.C. Thomas and Son, Funeral Directors, Zoar Chapel Funeral Home, Llanteg, SA67 8QH, who carried out the funeral arrangements.

 

Mrs M H Thomas

Llanychaer

MRS Margaret Heulwen Thomas of Llanychaer passed away peacefully at Withybush Hospital on July 15. She was the wife of the late Mr William (Willie) John Thomas of Banc-y-Felin, Llanychaer, Fishguard. She was the loving Mother of Ann, Arwel and Aneurin, motherin- law of Iori and Alwen and a very cherished grandmother and great-grandmother.

Born in 1923, she was the youngest of the James family and lived in Llanychaer from a young age where she met and married and lived at Banc-y-Felin for the rest of her life. During the War and also later in life she worked at RNAD Trecwn.

Margaret was a member of Mamre Methodist Chapel, Trecwn and later attended Glandwr Baptist Chapel, Llanychaer where the funeral took place, and where she was laid to rest with her beloved husband. The chapel was packed to capacity with numerous family members and friends, who came to pay their last respects to a very gentle and popular lady who will be greatly missed in the community.

The bearers were Aled, Emyr, Geraint and Dafydd Thomas, her grandsons and assisted at the chapel by Mr John Cole and Mr Eurig Evans. The service was officiated by The Rev. D. Carl Williams BA.M.Th, former Minister at Glandwr Chapel and the organist was Mrs Rhian Evans.

The funeral leaflets were distributed by Mr Gareth Lloyd and Mr David Davies.

Donations to the Glandwr Chapel Cemetery Fund kindly accepted by Paul Jenkins & Sons Funeral Directors, Fishguard, who carried out the funeral arrangements.