...passed away in the early hours of Tuesday morning April 1 2008.

Hence my absence for the last few days. Hope you will all bear with me as I am having to take time off and sort things out for the funeral etc.......Will pop in when and if I can.........

Very sorry to hear this Dunc i was asking a few members off here in chat Thursday night if they had heard from you.

My thoughts go out to you and yours bud.

My condolances Dunc - not much more that you say really but as you know I've been there and time really is a great healer.

May he Rest In Peace.

My deepest sympathies mate I lost my dad late last year and know how things are.
RIP Mr Ray.

Condolances to you and yours Dunc.

Really sorry to hear this news Dunc.

My sincere condolances to you, your family and all that are impacted by this.

my deepest condolences mate...Sorry for your loss.....my thoughts are with you..

My sincere condolences Dunc.

My condolances Dunc.

May he RIP

Sorry for your loss mate. My thoughts are with you and your family.

RIP

Thanks all. It has been a trying and difficult time, complicated by the fact we could not get a death certificate issued straight away!

It has been somewhat protracted because of an entry on the death certificate that stated one of the causes was something known as 'MPD' (Myelo-Proliferative Disorder) which is a form of luekaemia that is related to 'work-related' illnesses.
It appears that his work ( he was a metallurgist ) may have contributed to his eventual death; although he was 84 and been retired for 20 years!!

We now have a Coroner's inquest and hearing of the findings, scheduled for this Thursday and to discuss the nature of his work. Strangely enough he was also an ex-Naval man and was one of those that took relief supplies into Nagasaki just after the atomic bomb had been dropped........It would seem that subsequent investigations are set to carry on for quite a while.

Tissue and organ biopsies have now been taken and we can go ahead with the funeral arrangements, which is a relief.

The investigations look set to take several months. Just like the old fella to spin it out!

Hi dunc.. you have my deepest and heartfelt sympathies mate...

i'm still struggling to get on with my life...after the recent passing away of my father and i know exactly how difficult things are and seem to be.. they say time is a great healer.. so hopefully you and yours will get over this loss as well..

condolences to the entire RAY family..


cheers
KD

I hope so too mate and best wishes to all yours......

They say time heals but as I'm sure you are aware, there seems like there is a great rift to fill......It has been fine while there has been so much to do and organise but the difficult times are always when it is quiet and things creep up on you........I dont mind admitting I've had a few 'moments' like that in the past couple of weeks. So chin up mate and look after the rest of the family..........its all we can do, so all the best.

Funeral is tomorrow, hopefully when it is out of the way and everything is 'finalised' we can start to accept the loss a little easier..............


Thanks to all for the kind words and wishes and hope to be back posting, soon.

So sorry to hear of your loss Dunc. I am quite a bit younger than you but I lost my Grandma late last year and that was very hard for me so I have a small knowledge of what you are going through.

I don't know if he was a Villa man as yourself but if he was I would like to think he has had a hand in our last 3 weeks of superb form. Put a good word in the ear of the Big Guy upstairs to give our boys a hand.

Thanks Mr Ray and RIP

Cheers Rey, I'm just back from a few days down 'home' and we have had the funeral. We only had flowers from family members and donations for the RNIB (My father went blind in the last few years and they have been magnificent) and we raised over £2000 for them..........so highly delighted.

Took in the derby game and would like to think the old fellow had a 'divine' hand in the result!! We absolutely mullered 'em!!

Cheers once again for the good wishes and condolonces.....its much appreciated.