THE family of Prees businessman Ray Grocott have thanked people for their well wishes and attendance at his recent memorial service.

Ray died on October 1 and a service was held in his memory with more than 500 people attending to celebrate the life of the former owner of Grocontinental who died at the age of 89.

Conducted by Rev Sue Armstrong, the service was held at the Grocott Heritage Centre in Prees which houses the extensive archive of memorabilia from the 76-year history of Grocontinental.

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Ray’s son David and his daughters, Linda and Ruth, paid tribute to their father and highlighted both his business success and the support that he gave to his community.

Linda thanked all who have passed on their love, memories and support.

She added: “We have been extremely touched by just how many people have contacted us over the last few weeks to pay their respects to Dad and to share their memories of him with us.

“It was a very moving experience for us as a family to see so many people on the streets in Prees to say goodbye to Dad as we travelled to his committal service.

“It’s something that we will never forget. He lived in Prees all his life and the village meant the world to him.

“The Service of Thanksgiving was, as we intended, a real celebration of his fruitful life.”

Linda presented messages from a number of people from overseas who Ray had supported over the years, including two students from Romania who he met when delivering relief aid to the country in the early 1990s.

Ray financed their medical school studies and teacher training.

During the service, the family also gave special thanks to the team of carers who looked after Ray in the last few years.

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Ray’s nephew, Neale Sadler, also delivered a eulogy.

A committal service for Ray was held at Shrewsbury Crematorium the day before the Thanksgiving Service when villagers from Prees lined the streets to pay their respects to Ray as the cortège made its way through his home village.

Following the service, planes from Sleap Airfield, where Ray enjoyed his passion of flying, flew over the Heritage Centre to mark his passing.