Ken Lewis 29th June 1944 - 15th July 2024
A message from Meg about her Dad, Ken, who many will remember from his days at Roots.
With a heavy heart I have to tell you that my dad, Ken, died peacefully on Monday July 15th. My mum, brothers and I were all able to be with him and he was telling us stories until the end which, as many of you will know, was his way of sharing a good life, well lived.
Dad turned 80 at the end of June for which we brought together family that had rarely met in 50 years. We all have such busy lives these days but connecting to our roots was something he thought terribly important, demonstrated by over 70 guests who had travelled from far and wide to celebrate his birthday, even though he was unable to be with us, he enjoyed pictures, videos and messages from hospital.
Mum and Dad moved to Worcestershire just before our son Henry was born in 2002, upping sticks from our family home in Cuffley, Hertfordshire where my brothers and I lived our whole childhood. And this move included my grandparents (Mum’s parents Audrey & Vic) who lived with them in Lower Broadheath until they passed away in 2014. The opportunity to live so closely has meant that we have done much together as a family, our memories are full of family events, work and play with grandchildren who were lucky enough to have close relationships with both grandparents and great-grandparents, relationships that Mum and Dad made their priority.
Education and opportunity were crucial themes in my Dad’s reflection on life. His parents began this when they were young seeking out all opportunities to educate my Dad with school, music, church when he really would much rather been allowed to play outdoors looking after livestock, planting and tending potatoes, cabbages, swedes on their small holding in Pembroke Dock. His studies took him to Swansea University to study Chemical Engineering and then into employment with the fast-growing firms of the day. He met my mum in Ipswich, Suffolk – just two weeks after arriving in his first job, she was 19. As newly-weds they moved to Derby, both working for Rolls Royce and over the next few years moved again with work, towards a job he then held with IBM for much of his working life.
Living in Cuffley, just 16 miles from the West End of London our lives were privileged with theatre, ballet, London sights, Wimbledon and many wonderful holidays. A caravan expanded our horizons for family holidays, all around the southern UK and into Brittany, France. Mum and Dad arriving to collect us from school, on the last day of term, with the caravan in tow is one of our most exciting memories that we talk about still.
And then there were the boats … anyone who cared to mention an interest in boats or the sea over the counter at Roots was bound to fall into conversation with Dad for a long time after, quite often leading to a gentle nudge to one side while we took over the till, allowing Dad’s conversation to continue.
Dad had more he wanted to pack in than his health would allow. Eighty years just didn’t seem enough to him or us. Proud, practical, interested, ambitious, always with a song in his heart, hugs and stories, so many stories, we will miss him so very much.
