THE death has occurred of one of Lymm’s best-known characters, Ray Massey – president of the Lymm branch of the Royal British Legion and organiser for around 40 years of the Poppy Day appeal in the village.
Ray died, aged 87, at Birch Court Nursing Home, Warrington, where he had for the last four years fought a battle with Alzheimers.
A life-long resident of Lymm, he served in the RAF during World War 2, as a maintenance engineer on Lancaster bombers with Coastal Command.
After the war he worked as an engineer with Kearns Richards at Broadheath, Altrincham and later lectured on engineering at Halton College. But he maintained his links with the RAF supporting the local air cadets.
He ran a badminton club at Lymm for more than 20 years and founded the annual British Legion bike ride which raised thousands of pounds for the Poppy Appeal.
It was as organiser of the Poppy Day appeal that he was probably best known and every year until he became ill he could be seen selling poppies in the village centre. He was also well known for his unique car number plate MIISER.
His daughter, Sarah Impey, said: “He wasn’t a miser really. A friend who was emigrating to Spain asked him to look after the number plate until he returned. But he never came back, so Dad kept the number.”
Ray is survived by two daughters, Sarah and Helen, his sister Val and five grandchildren.
His funeral takes place at St Peter’s Church, Oughtrington on Friday, February 20 followed by cremation at Altrincham Crematorium and a reception at the Lymm Hotel. Donations are for the Poppy Day appeal.
