I was so sorry to learn of Uncle Bill’s death having failed to make telephone contact yesterday on what would have been his 99th birthday. My family’s connection with Bill and Dot go back over 80 years. My father Don May became a close friend of Bill’s after his family moved to Brooks in the early 1930s. They both joined the RCAF in 1942 (my Dad was 2 weeks older than Bill) and my Dad was sent to England training first as a pilot then a radio operator. In Bournemouth he met my Mum and they were married in1947. Mum and Dad though moved to Brooks in 1951 following my grandfather’s death(also Don May) and spent a very happy year there making friendships that lasted a lifetime, especially with Bill and Dot. My parents returned to the UK in 1953 and I was born here in1954. But they kept in regular contact with Bill and Dot first by mail, then by phone and in 1976 made the first of 3 trips to stay with them taking my husband and I with them. The last trip was in 1997 when we also took our 2 children and Bill and I arranged a big party to mark my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. We also had a great time when Bill and Dot came to the UK in the early 1990s and stayed with us in Bray. Sadly my Mum died in 2001 and Dad in 2007. I kept in touch with Bill and Dot until Dot’s death in 2016 and then a little more intermittently with Bill - we always phoned on our birthdays- hence my call yesterday. I have very fond memories of Bill - he was a very loyal friend and great fun to be with - my Dad and he used to roar with laughter at each other’s bad and risqué jokes!
He will be sadly missed.
Julie Ramsbottom and family
