Ronald Stanley Johnson (6 Mar 1926 - 9 Jun 2020)

Ron was born on 6th March 1926, in West Ham, the youngest of five children, to Albert and Alice Johnson. He had two sisters, Alice and Rose, and two brothers, Bert and Len.

Life was quite tough in those days, with not much money to go around but it was a happy and loving childhood.

Ron left school at the tender age of 14 and started work at the Tate & Lyle Sugar Refinery as WW2 was in its early stages. Unfortunately the family home took a direct hit when the docks area of London was under constant attack from the Luftwaffe and the family were re-housed in Barking which, in those days, was virtually out in the country (not being considered part of London as it is nowadays).

It was this move to Barking which led him to meet his future wife, Joyce, when they were both members of the Junior Air Corps.

Ron was very keen to go into the RAF and eventually received his call up papers. However, the war had taken a different turn in 1943 and it was decided that manpower was needed on the ground rather than in the air so he received his discharge papers for the RAF and his call up papers for the Commandos in the same envelope!!!!

There followed a period of rigorous physical training, mostly in the highlands of Scotland and then Ron was transported out to the Far East ready for the ground assault on Penang. However, the Americans dropped the atom bomb and Ron then found himself being posted to Japan where he assisted in the aftermath of the nuclear bomb. As a result of the awful things he saw and experienced as a mere 17 year old, Ron’s lifelong philosophy was one of a strong belief in peaceful solutions to all problems, as far as possible.

On his return from the Far East in 1947, he continued his romantic pursuit of Joyce and they married in 1949. Their only child, Rona came along in 1954 and the three of them became a very close family unit, Ron and Joyce giving Rona a fun-filled and adventurous childhood. They were very spontaneous, hospitable and sociable and enjoyed taking holidays abroad in the car and latterly by air.

Ron was a very hard worker all his life and turned his hand to various different occupations including qualifying as a wholesale grocery buyer for the Co-op, driving a lorry for Johnnie Walker Whisky, working for and later running a string of betting shops and being an accounts supervisor for Lesney Products (Matchbox toys) for many years. His last job before official retirement was in the accounts department of a Central London hotel, from which he retired at age 65 and then they asked him back on a part time basis for a further five years. Even then, still not content with putting his feet up, he got a part time job working for a local garage, keeping the forecourt and car wash working smoothly.

During their 57 year marriage, Ron and Joyce were known to take in various youngsters who were in difficulty, including a 15 year old boy from Czechoslovakia when his parents had fled from the Russian invasion in 1968 and were trying to set up a new home in Switzerland. Ron and Joyce took Rene under their wing and arranged schooling for him in the UK.

In later years, whilst in Rayleigh doing the weekly shopping, they stopped for a coffee and took pity on a couple who had come to the area to attend a wedding but who were having difficulty in finding somewhere to stay overnight. Ron and Joyce did not hesitate in offering them a bed for the night and the couple were unduly grateful and accepted their offer, attending their wedding and then staying overnight before returning home the next day having been given a hearty breakfast.

This just sums up the generous spirit that they lived by.

Ron gave up driving at age 91 but made no complaints about it and merely, in his words, “dusted off his bus pass” and enjoyed getting the bus to either Rochford or Hockley in order to have his daily coffee fix.

Following Joyce’s death in 2006, their friend and neighbour, Iris Thompson became a very good friend and partner to Ron and they have been a great comfort to each other over the years since then.

To sum up Ron, he was a very kind and generous, hard working family man who, in his 94 years, did his utmost to live a life without causing harm to another soul. He was fiercely independent and kept this attitude to the very end. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.