On 18 February 2019 Ron Scott sadly passed away.

Ron had joined the club in 1981 and as soon as he achieved the then minimum of 10 years ordinary membership he paid the required lump sum of 10 years' membership to become a life member in 1991.

At the time I rejoined the club after a 13 year gap, Ron was a very frequent walker and an active  ramble leader. On the first walk I did in 1988 he was duty member, a role he filled with enthusiasm and accorded the traditional Franciscan welcome to new members.

From 1989 to 1991 he was the club treasurer. In order to boost club funds he set himself the target of increasing club membership. To this end he carried copies of the notice for Church notice boards with him on the weekly ramble and made sure that any member whose parish was not displaying a copy  received one and was encouraged to get it displayed.   

In recent years Ron did not walk very much but in 2009 when we celebrated the visit of the relic of St Therese the Little Flower to the South East with a week of special walks to places where the relic was venerated he stepped forward to lead the walk from Kensington to Westminster Cathedral.

At the memorial service for Ron in St Nicholas' Church Canvey Island on 28 March 2019 the Rector Reverend Canon David Tudor recounted how Ron had been discharged from hospital on 10 February and passed away just over a week later on 18 February. Amazingly however he made a farewell appearance on the ramble the day before he died which was in his native area where he had led many walks himself. The photograph below was taken, I believe, at the lunch stop on that walk.

Canon David also mentioned that in recognition of his long service to the Department for Transport Ron was invited to one of Her Majesty the Queen's Garden Parties in 2016. I suspect that is where the photograph on the cover of the service booklet (below left) was taken. On the back cover of the booklet was the photograph of Ron in his younger days (below right).

We remember Ron for his friendly and welcooming approach to fellow club members and for his enthusiasm during his years of membership. May he rest in peace