The Probus Club of St Annes-on-the-Sea

Peter Ralph
16 February 1931 - 11 October 2012

Peter was born in 1931 near Sittingbourne in Kent, the son of a railway worker, and grew up in the sunny Kent countryside during World War 11.  He lived as a child in a council estate and a desire to escape this environment drove him to fight for a good education, which he gained through the Dock Yard School and then Durham University where he achieved an honours degree in Marine Engineering.  He was a keen footballer and runner and was the Kent champion at 440 yards (now 400 metres) in his youth.  After university he started working for the Supermarine Aircraft Company on the design team of the Scimitar aircraft and that took him to the Southampton area, where he gradually became a keen supporter of Southampton Football Club.

Peter married Eileen in 1955 and eventually became the proud father of two sons, Adrian and Jonathan.  In 1959 Peter started his main career as Works Engineer for Unilever Research and settled the family in Bromham, Bedfordshire.  After retirement Peter and Eileen moved to Old Basing, Hampshire and lived there happily keeping close tabs on the grandchildren.  During that time in Old Basing, Peter developed a love of painting and became quite skilled, creating many paintings of aircraft, the grandchildren and the countryside.  Unfortunately, in 2002 Peter was left on his own when Eileen died after a long battle with cancer.

Peter eventually moved to Ashton View in St Annes to move nearer his family and met up with Brenda who helped him regain his smile.  Peter and Brenda spent quite a lot of time together, going to local clubs and groups, going on holidays together and also supporting St Annes Baptist Church.  Peter had some very happy times at Ashton View and made many new friends before his health problems got the better of him.