Tributes have been paid to a true Suffolk gentleman who adored the countryside – and taught over 5,000 people in Sudbury to drive.
If a name could be given to the area of land surrounding the Suffolk and Essex border, it ought to be named Ray Davis Countryside, says friend Ashley Cooper.
Ray – for he was always Ray, never Raymond – exemplified many of the values for which our county is known; he loved the countryside, the wildlife, being outdoors, and he believed strongly in helping his neighbours wherever he could.
Most of all, Ray loved his friends. At his funeral, the church in Long Melford was packed with at least 500 people. A countryman to the end, his beloved Land Rover served as a hearse.
Ray was born on October 13, 1947, and grew up in the village of Little Cornard, near the River Stour, the son of an undertaker and grandson of a butler on a landed Scottish estate.
As a little boy, Ray was never happier than when he was out ratting, rabbiting or fishing in the nearby River Stour, or playing with his catapult.
Ray attended the Boys Secondary Modern in Mill Lane until he was 15. He then trained as a butcher’s boy, where he learned the skills he would carry throughout his life.
After passing his test, Ray became a driving instructor at a new school in Sudbury the following year, aged just 18. These days, instructors must be at least 21.
The school closed five years later, and Ray became an independent instructor. He remained in this career for the next 40 years.
Over the coming years, Ray taught over 5,000 people around Sudbury to drive.
Apart from the first six months, Ray never needed to advertise. His friendly, upbeat persona instantly put pupils at ease, and it was not uncommon for him to teach three generations of the same family to drive.
“He taught me to drive in 1969,” remembered Mr Cooper. Ray was a consummate professional, but had novel ways of teaching.
He would lay a gun cartridge on the dashboard, and challenge his pupil’s to complete a three-point turn without it turning over.
He would also give pupil’s a rap on the knees with a stick if they forgot the basics, such as checking their mirrors.
As he aged, Ray’s circle of friends grew wider and wider. Ray cherished his friends and was dearly loved by many in the community.
“His middle name could have been ‘Sharing,’” said Mr Cooper. Ray would rarely arrive to see a friend empty-handed, bringing gifts in the form of vegetables he grew, or game he had caught and butchered himself.
He would readily help anyone in need, from an elderly neighbour who needed a tree cutting to people needing solutions to “country issues”.
He had his own language of quirky sayings, referring to seagulls as ‘Clacton pheasants’, and saying that he was ‘just off to roost’ when he was going to bed.
Even after retiring, Ray would still sometimes teach the children of his closest friends, with his final pupil passing their test in January this year.
In the final few years of his life, he acquired four acres of land in Little Cornard which he converted into a wildlife sanctuary.
Nothing gave Ray more pleasure than to see the local flora and fauna flourishing.
While Ray never married or had children, he leaves behind a vast network of friends, all of whom treasured his friendship.
Ray died of cancer on June 9, aged 76. A wake was held at Kentwell Hall, where a line of honour gave a final shotgun salute.
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