Category: Persons – Surname beginning with T

A private funeral service was held at West Wiltshire Crematorium, Semington, on Tuesday 24th December 2024, at 11.00 a.m., in loving memory of Reginald Tudgay (22nd April 1943 – 6th December 2024).

The ‘Music in’ was Nimrod from the Enigma Variations recorded by the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Reverend Lorraine Dobbins in her Welcome said:
“We meet in the name of Jesus Christ, who died and was raised to the glory of God the Father. Grace and mercy be with you.”

Opening Prayer:
God of all consolation, Your son Jesus Christ was moved to tears at the grave of Lazarus his friend. Look with compassion on your children in their loss; give to troubled hearts the light of hope and strengthen in us the gift of faith, in Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Hymn:
Fight The Good Fight.

Bible Reading:
John, Chapter 20: verses 11 – 17.

Rmembering Reg:
Reg was born on the 22nd of April 1943 to Nellie and Reg Tudgay. Growing up alongside his brother Henry at Obelisk Terrace in Warminster. When he first started school he went to the Minster School until the family moved home to Woodcock Terrace where he attended the New Close School.

Reg was a bright boy and after passing his 11 Plus became a pupil at Trowbridge Boys High School. He didn’t like football and would deliberately forget his boots. Sadly his dad passed away when he was just 12 years old.

He was a rocker as a young man and went to see the Rolling Stones at Longleat. He always looked smart in a collar and tie.

He first asked Yvonne out in 1964 as she was cycling back to work, when he pulled up in front of her. Yvonne remembers the day vividly, it was a Thursday and Reg was driving a little yellow van, when he asked her if she would like to go out. Yvonne had already made plans to go to the cinema so had to say no, she thought that might be it. However, Reg wasn’t going to give up and was there when she came out of the cinema, following her home. The two of them have been together for over 60 years.

This year it was the 59th anniversary of their engagement, something they always celebrated together. Yvonne remembers them going to Salisbury to choose the ring. The one she liked was a little expensive, but that didn’t stop Reg making sure she had it. He always wanted her to have the very best.

The two were married at St. John’s Church, Warminster, on the 18th of March 1967 and began their married life together at Prestbury Drive until moving to Poulsen Close in 1974. Reg loved the view over Smallbrook especially when the cows came to the fence.

Reg’s hobby his whole life was steam railways and railway modelling. Even the night before he was taken ill he was in the lounge working on bits for his layout. He was club secretary of Warminster Model Railway Club and helped organise their Annual Exhibition Show for many years. On his 60th birthday he had the joy of driving one of the steam locomotives at Swanage.

He also enjoyed astronomy and the space missions. Reg and Yvonne saw the shuttle take off from NASA in 1989. The roar from the engines as it took off was deafening and they could feel the ground shaking all around them. He enjoyed that!

He had a motorbike when he was 17 or 18 and always enjoyed watching motorbike racing and the Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy). In 1990 he bought an old classic bike, a Royal Enfield Crusader Sports, and spent a couple of years rebuilding it and used it to go to on classic bike rides.

Reg also had a love of gardening, especially growing tomatoes in his greenhouse. He was forever keeping busy, always bashing and crashing around working on something or other. This never changed; he even purchased a chain saw recently.

Reg also spent hours researching his family history which was another great interest of his, tracing back the ancestors of both sides of his family and also Yvonne’s.

Reg was a man with lots of interests alongside a deep commitment to his working life. He started work in a local builder’s office, going to college on day-release and worked his way up, taking exams and gaining qualifications. In his later life he worked as a professional quantity surveyor until he retired in 2008.

Reg was a loving family man, a wonderful dad to his daughters Samantha and Natasha. He was the best, always supportive, offering advice when needed. He was extremely practical and would show his love to them in lots of practical ways, if anything was broken they knew their Dad would fix it; he fixed everything from sheds to jewellery. Hence his nickname “Grampy mender”.

There were some great family memories made with just the four of them, especially caravan holidays. The family would enjoy attending Caravan Club weekend rallies and holidays in Cornwall at Goldsithney Three Ways campsite. Days out would be enjoyed whilst on holiday to Marazion, Mousehole, St. Ives, Penzance and the Lizard Peninsula – Cadgwith was his favourite.

He was always there for his daughters. When Samantha was going through a difficult time, he was there, taking care of her and looking after everything. He was a wonderful grandfather to Kieran and Mia and had a lovely relationship with his son-in-law David.

He was always kind and loved a good laugh. He was always a calm, positive, reliable man. Always willing to help his family and friends. His sense of humour never waned, even recently when he was very ill at Southampton Hospital he would still try to make the family smile.

Reg will be greatly missed; well loved by those who knew him – people would say that once seen he was never forgotten. A man who loved well and knew how much he was loved and passed away just a few weeks ago with Yvonne, Samantha, Natasha and David by his side.

Prayers:
God of Mercy, Lord of Life, you have made us in your image to reflect your truth and light; we give you thanks for Reg, for all that was good in his life, for the steadfast love he had for Yvonne, for his loving supportive parenting of Samantha and Natasha, for the joy his grandchildren Kieran and Mia brought to him and for the many precious memories treasured today. Amen.

Your mighty power brings joy out of grief and life out of death. Look in mercy on Yvonne, Samantha, Natasha, David, Kieran, Mia, all who mourn Reg’s passing. Give them patient faith in times of darkness and strengthen them with the knowledge of your love. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer.

Hymn:
Great is Thy faithfulness.

Commendation:
Let us commend Reg to the mercy of God our maker and redeemer.
God our creator and redeemer, by your power Christ conquered death and entered into glory. Confident of his victory and claiming his promises, we entrust Reg to your mercy in the name of Jesus our Lord, who died and is alive and reigns with you, now and for ever. Amen.

The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and of great goodness. As a father is tender towards his children, so is the Lord tender to those that fear him. For he knows of what we are made; he remembers that we are but dust. Our days are like the grass; We flourish like a flower in the field; when the wind goes over it, it is gone and its place will know it no more. But the merciful goodness of the Lord endures for ever and ever toward those that fear him and his righteousness upon their children’s children.

Committal:
We have entrusted our brother Reg to God’s mercy, and we now commit his body to be cremated: earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust: in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our frail bodies that they may be conformed to his glorious body, who died, was buried, and rose again for us. To him be glory for ever. Amen.

Blessing:
May God give you his comfort and his peace, his light and his joy, in this world and the next; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

‘Music Out’
In The Garden, Elvis Presley.

Yvonne and family would like to take the opportunity to express their sincere thanks and appreciation to all who attended the service, for your kind messages of sympathy and for the part you have played in Reginald’s life.

Donations in memory of Reginald will be going to the work of Southampton Hospitals Charity (specifically going to the work of the Cardiac Care Unit and Cardiac Intensive Care Unit). Cheques made payable to this charity, if desired, may be sent c/o Iles & Vincent Funeral Services, 14 The Cornmarket, Warminster, Wiltshire, BA12 9BX. Telephone 01985 220161.

Reg’s ashes were interred in the north part of the churchyard at Christ Church, Warminster.

Wednesday 11th December 2024

Reginald John Tudgay passed away peacefully, with his family by his side, on Friday 6th December 2024, aged 81 years. Devoted husband to Yvonne, loving father to Samantha and Natasha and father-in-law to David. Proud grandfather to Kieran and Mia. Reg will be greatly missed by all his family and friends. Reg’s family have decided that the funeral will be a private one for family and close friends only. Funeral directors: Iles & Vincent, 14 The Cornmarket, Warminster, BA12 9BX. Telephone (o1985) 220161.

Wednesday 18th August 2024

Jennifer Trott passed away peacefully at RUH, Bath, on Tuesday 17th September 2024, aged 59. Treasured memories of a special sister and friend who will be remembered and missed.

Tuesday 14th May 2024

The funeral service (a celebration of life) for Graham Tazewell (11th October 1944 – 21st April 2024) was held at the West Wiltshire Crematorium, Semington, on Tuesday 14th May 2024, at 2.00 pm.

As the coffin was carried into the Crematorium, a recording of Nimrod by Edward Elgar, by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, was played.

The Reverend John Darling gave a short introduction to the mourners, who numbered about 70, which was followed by an opening prayer.

The hymn Jerusalem (music by Sir Hubert Parry, words by William Blake) was sung.

Graham’s son, Matt, then read the following tribute:

“Everyone gathered here this afternoon knew my father in some way, but I wanted to take a small bit of time to reflect on our experiences and a bit about who he was to us.”

“Graham Tazewell was born in Street, Somerset, on 11 October 1944, growing up there with his father Robert, mother Hilda and brother Peter. He married Patricia McHugh on the 1st September 1969 and had two wonderful children in 1973 and 1975. Dad spent the majority of our childhood working as a workshop engineer at ALH in Westbury and ferrying me to various sporting fixtures.”

“My early recollections are of spending lots of time outside, from the impressive treehouse he built at the bottom of our garden, equipped with a wired-in communication system back to the house, where I am sure we spent too much time asking for drinks and snacks, to walking around the fields and woods around Warminster with me pretending to be a soldier, I’m embarrassed to say.”

“On one occasion we had walked to Battlesbury Firing Range, on the edge of the Salisbury Plain danger area. I assume I must have been about five or six, because on this specific day we waited for a soldier who was running round a track that over-looked the range to be out of sight, before Dad picked me up and placed me over the fence and we ran the 60 or 70 metres for him to lower me into a covered slit trench, where we both proceeded to pick up the brass shell cases that the last training unit had obviously failed to clear. The reason I can recall this event was I was too short to be able to get myself out of the trench, and Dad left with some of the spent cases to hide back across the fence and then a few minutes, to be honest I remember it feeling an age, later ran back to help left me out of the trench and make our escape, the treasure clinking in our pockets.”

A foundational part of mine and Laura’s childhood was our regular summer holidays in North Wales. The cottage had an amazing flagstone floor, massively thick walls, an open fire, no television, and water that was piped in from a well in the garden. From 1979 we spent every summer travelling the four to five hours to the cottage, walking the hills, coastline and pathways, visiting castles, eating fish and chips and buying rock in Barmouth. Dad sometimes helped around the farm if Mrs. Griffiths, affectionately known as ‘Mrs. G.’ had any jobs which he could help with, and just generally having fun, a tradition which carries on to this day.”

“Dad’s talent as an engineer and for making things was highlighted one year when he came equipped with about 20 handmade wooden boomerangs, all shaped by him to slightly different angles and forms. Unsurprisingly some disappeared into the bracken, others completed a glorious loop returning to the thrower, to the bewilderment of the hundreds of Welsh sheep grazing in the fields.”

“Even in some of the later stages of Dad’s illness he would still recount snippets from stories of those times, of Mrs. G. and his time in North Wales, showing us how happy he was there, and the amazing times we all spent there. It was here that Dad thrived in his passions for walking, the outdoors, for his family and meeting people.”

“Dad’s engineering skills also came in useful when Laura came back from school saying that she wasn’t able to score at netball because the hoops were all bent – Dad stepped in to make some replacement hoops and headed to school the following weekend to install them.”

“His and Mum’s DIY skills came into their own when Laura bought her house in Godalming, which needed a fair amount of work; they’d go and visit and be set to work either with some DIY or babysitting duties.”

“Dad had many interests, whether it was rugby and following the ups and down of Bath, to motorbikes, a love and aptitude for photography, antiques, or his engineering prowess. On antiques, this spanned a great deal of things, as Dad was one of those rare people who could take a trip to the recycling centre, or the dump as we affectionately called it, and come home with more stuff than he had taken.”

“All of these interests were followed with the same passion, sense of fun and enjoyment.”

“He loved his grandchildren and gained a huge amount of joy from spending time with them, particularly the times which gave him the opportunity to clown around.”

“With Mum, it was clear that Dad was so amazingly happy. Her devotion in caring for him and going above and beyond to ensure he remained loved and cared for is a reflection of this. Laura and I wanted to ensure we acknowledged what Mum has done in the past few years to look after Dad. We are proud and respect her even more for all she has done. I also want to publicly thank the wonderful team at Longbridge Deverill Nursing Home who again have been humbling in their care, patience and support. Thank you.”

“Mum and our family have had some wonderful cards and messages this past fortnight and I have taken the time to reflect on what others have said and thought about my Dad. Without exception the key message has been he was a lovely man. And he was. Closely followed by he was funny and a bit of a joker. That is certainly what we think and how we will remember him.”

“He was a character, he liked people and he always wanted to engage and have a laugh, whether you were a close friend or relative, or a person sat on a checkout in a supermarket, he would have a quip or something to say to make you laugh and start a conversation.”

“We will all remember Graham, Dad, Grampy, as fun, engaging, caring and supportive; always ready to be helpful or offer advice and someone who thrived in engaging with people, leaving a positive impression wherever he went. We are very privileged to have had his love and laughter throughout our lives. He will be sorely missed but we all have many treasured memories of him and our times together.”

There was then a ‘Time of Reflection’ when a slide show of pictures of Graham, including some with his wife Pat, and children Matt and Laura, was shown. The musical accompaniment to the slide show was Father and Son, recorded by Cat Stevens.

The Rev. Darling gave a prayer of thanksgiving for Graham’s Life, after which The Lord’s Prayer was spoken by the mourners, preceding the Committal and the Blessing.

As those present exited the Crematorium, a recording of Days by Kirstie McCall was played.

There was a collection in memory of Graham, to be shared between Alzheimers Support, Warminster; and Longbridge Deverill Nursing Home.

Graham’s widow Pat and children Matthew and Laura invited family and friends afterwards to the Warminster Conservative Club, 1 Prestbury Drive, Warminster, BA12 9LB, for refreshments and to share memories of Graham.

The funeral arrangements were ably carried out by Iles & Vincent Funeral Services Ltd., 14 The Cornmarket, Warminster, BA12 9BX. Telephone 01985 220161. www.ilesandvincentfuneralservices.co.uk