Horley Town Council - News Article
Roy Martin Obituary
4 May 1922 – 11 February 2020
Roy was born and educated in Ramsgate as an only child. His mother died of the flu when he was a youngster and with his father off to sea in the Navy, he was brought up by the Aunts.
Leaving home at 16, Roy and his cousin were very smart young men in Ramsgate, they both got a job with P&O as Bell Boys on the Liner Stratheden, its maiden voyage to Australia showed Roy the world.
The war had started, there were enemy aircraft over the skies of London with bombs dropping. After many months on fire watch duties, Roy still only 19 years old, decided to join up, his mate and him walked into the St Pancras Recruiting Office and came out Soldiers of the Royal Airforce Regiment.
After a spell in Northern Ireland shooting down the German planes as they came in to attack UK airfields, he was deployed to the jungles of Burma fighting with the Gurkhas to stop the Japanese invasion under Lieutenant General Slim.
The war over, Roy was demobbed in 1946, he returned to Liverpool to WAAF, Phyllis, he had met and married during the war. They were married for 67 years until Phyllis died in 2008.
Moving to London for work, now age 25, he tried his hand as an Estate Agent, Accountant amongst other things, eventually as a family man moving out of London to Merstham, Redhill. He got a job at The Monotype Corporation in Salfords. Roy and Phyllis moved to Horley in 1980. Roy worked at The Monotype for 40 years, first in accounts, then Import/Export Manager until he retired but he didn’t retire because he came to work at Horley Town Council for the next 30 years. So we have many fond memories of him in the old hut, tending the tennis courts, watering all the Town’s hanging baskets in those days, tending the Memorial Gardens and he was always a great support for the admin team in the office including taking part in the Town’s events welcoming visitors. One day on 11 October 2017, aged 95, he didn’t turn up for work, Roy had a Catastrophic Stroke.
The Councillors and staff were immensely grateful to Roy for his many years of dedication and service which always went far beyond his call of duty and he was presented with the prestigious Town Award for his distinguished and exceptional service to Horley. Roy made a remarkable recovery after months in hospital and a nursing home before returning home where he passed away peacefully.
A celebration of the life of Roy Martin will be held at the Surrey & Sussex Crematorium, Balcombe Road, Crawley RH10 3NQ on Monday, 2 March, at 12 noon, reception afterwards at the Horley Sports & Social Club/British Legion, Albert Rd, Horley RH6 7JA. All who knew Roy welcome.
Condolence messages can be sent via email to his daughter Linda (Email address: lindamartinsbox@gmail.com)
Donations in memory of Roy can be made to the Burma Star Association at Batemans Funeral Directors Horley.
ENDS
