BALLANGER: Lion Ray (82) - Passed to higher service
Goring, Woodcote & District Lions Club report with great sadness the sudden death of Lion William Raymond Ballanger on Wednesday 29 December in the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading.
Lion Ray joined South Chilterns Lions Club in 1974 where he was president in 1980-1981, but had transferred to Goring, Woodcote & District Lions in 2005 being closer to home. He was a very active and well loved in the local community and will be sorely missed by both the public and the two Lions Clubs which he served so well. Our thoughts and sympathy are with Mary his wife, his son John and granddaughter Beth.
Ray was born on 26th December 1928 in Gravesend, Kent. At the early age of 10 years he was the only boy in his school that year to pass the scholarship for entry to Gravesend Grammar School for Boys. However, as the Second World War started the school had already been evacuated by boat from Gravesend to Norfolk. Ray was then evacuated to Beccles in September 1939 .
Having passed his school certificate at the age of 15 Ray left school and went to work at the local branch of Barclays Bank. He was called up for National Service in the RAF during the notoriously bad winter of 1947. The weather was so bad that after a week he and his fellow conscripts were all given a fortnight’s ration card and rail warrants to go home until the weather improved. RAF Padgate, near Warrington, Lancashire where basic training was done had been completely snowed up. Since Ray had been in the A.T.C. this was identified in his service number 3101825 – the beginning number 3 was unique to former A.T.C. members.
When the Berlin airlift began Ray was moved from RAF Kenley, in Surrey to RAF Alton, in Hampshire because of his job in “Equipment Accounts”.
When telephoning his then girlfriend (later his wife) Mary on “Greenhithe 1“ the operator would say, “One what ?” . Mary’s phone number really was “Greenhithe One” !!!
Ray and Mary had first met when he was 18 and she was 17 years old.
On going back to Barclays Bank he transferred to London and used to do “The Walks,“ taking cheques from one bank to another for local clearing. To save time he learned how to take short cuts through buildings around Lombard Street in the City. He had been promised a placement at South Africa House in the cashier’s department, but as that would only happen in a few months time he became a bus conductor to earn some extra money.
Having become the receiving cashier at South Africa House (thereby a South African Civil Servant paying South African Income Tax) he decided to leave when apartheid was brought in.
During the 1950’s Ray was the Cadet Superintendant of the St. John Ambulance Brigade based in Northfleet, Kent.
At 30 years of age he started work for the Prudential Assurance Company at Head Office. By studying at Night School and much reading on the train to and from work, he passed the Insurance Institute examinations in Life assurance to get his A.C.I.I. and after another 4 years became an F.C.I.I., which encompassed all other aspects of insurance. He took a teaching qualification and while in London taught Life Assurance at Regent Street Polytechnic and The City of London College 2 nights a week.
Moving to Reading in 1972 with the Life Department of the ‘Pru’ he then taught at Reading Technical College 2 nights a week. He became Training Officer in Reading and taught staff at week long residential courses around the country
Ray and Mary volunteered to help with proposed new Woodcote Magazine which was to supplant the Parish Newsletter. This became the Woodcote Correspondent. The first one was produced in December1989. Ray was co-editor for a few years, then sole editor until 2001 For several years it was put together by hand using an Amstrad computer and the advertising added using cut and paste methods before being given to the printer who produced 1,750 copies for circulation.
In 1982 Lion Ray was the first Lion to be chosen with Mary to be guests of Victoria Lions in Australia who were offering to host a Lion from somewhere in the world, for a month, who spoke English. Ever since this has become an annual event for the Lions Clubs of Victoria, Australia to again host visiting Lions. Ray & Mary were guests of seven different Lions Clubs, spending 4 days with each Club – two days with each of two families of that Club.
When about to land in Melbourne the pilot asked for Mr and Mrs Ballanger to go to the front of the cabin as a welcoming party was waiting there to greet them. They people who were to be their hosts for the next month!
Ray commented that he had never known Mary to be so tactful!!!
GODLEY: Lion Brian (76) - Passed to higher service.
Brian joined Horsham Lions 40 years ago on 4th January 1970, after 2 years he transferred to South Chiltern Lions Club, and we were delighted when he came to our Club 10 years ago.
Brian was President of South Chilterns Lions Club ( now Pangbourne, Theale & District ) in 1979-80.
Then whilst with our Club, he was President in 2003-4 and served in most key offices such as Chair of Fund Raising, and Community Service. He received a Melvin Jones Fellowship award in 2005 for dedicated humanitarian services.
Always an enthusiastic and energetic Lions Club member, ever willing to get involved in helping those in need within the local community, Brian will be sorely missed but not forgotten by his many friends.
Our sincere sympathies go to his wife Doreen and his family.
Lion Brian receiving his award for 40 years in Lions Clubs International
In Picture: Acting President Jon Solman - Doreen - Past President Sally Bergmann
