Edward
Ernest Rumsey


Dad was
born on 5th
June 1936 at the 'black house' in Emneth, Norfolk to Herbert and Rachel Rumsey. He was the youngest of 10 children.
6 months
later the family moved to Stow Road, Outwell, Norfolk and Dad lived there until he married in 1959.


He
attended Beaupre School in Outwell where he passed his 11 plus and went to Downham Market Grammar School. School days he would cycle 2 miles to catch the bus and used to leave his bike with Auntie Eve (his sister) who lived near the bus stop, but if he was late he would leave his bike in the hedge and catch the bus. Auntie Eve would then retrieve his bike from the hedge! After leaving school at 16 Dad obtained a job with Smedleys in Wisbech.




Dad met
mum (Lenore) through the local youth club. He would walk her home and that is how their relationship started, (but he wouldn’t officially court her until she had left school.) – always the gentleman.


He did
his National Service in the RAF for 2 years. He wasn't a very good recruit for the RAF as he went up in a plane just once and was sick so never went up again!!
For 18
months of his service, he was stationed just 40 miles away, so he used to thumb a lift home to Outwell at the weekends. On one occasion a couple picked him up, they asked where he was going, they were going to Wisbech so he directed them via Outwell, a indirect route for their journey!


Mum and
Dad married on Valentine's Day 1959 and lived in Upwell for 4 years, Stephen was born in 1961 and I was born in 1962. The family moved to West Lynn, where dad changed his job and worked for Fropac, but he was made redundant 13 months later. He had a couple of jobs but then secured a job back with Smedleys and this brought us to Maidstone.


Anne was
born in 1967.


In
Maidstone Dad helped with Boys Brigade at our church for 8 years.


Dad
worked for Smedleys for 8 years and then got moved to Faversham, this is when we moved to Ashford in 1972. Dad was not happy at Faversham so got a job with Amphnol in Whitstable but when a job came up at Trebor in Maidstone, 18 months later, he moved to work for them.
At 58
years of age he took early retirement from Trebor, but soon found himself working for MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) in Folkestone and then Ashford. He retired from there aged 65.


From the
time of his marriage he used to go out with the minister to take services. On one such occasion
while travelling in the car, the minister asked him to take the book out of the door pocket and open it to see what they would be preaching about that day! No preparation required!! Dad
started his training to become a local preacher and qualified as such in 1970. He spent many years conducting services around the circuit and we would all join him on Sunday afternoons to visit the small congregations in many of the beautiful villages around Ashford.


Dad had
many interests and roles within the churches we attended. From teaching in Sunday School, holding the role of Superintendent for the Sunday School, circuit treasurer for many years, as well as the co-ordinator for the District Festival at Bank Street Church. The house would be full of entries which dad then ferried around to the judges houses for marking.


Dad was
a very patient man as you will all know and he taught mum, Stephen, me, Anne, and a several others to drive. He was obviously a good teacher as we all passed first time!


Dad
enjoyed making people laugh with a good joke. One of his interests was with the Centrepiece amateur dramatics where he starred as the Dame in several pantomimes, if he had forgotten his lines he would 'ad lib' much to the confusion of the other actors. On one occasion he played the 'villian'.


Dad’s
love for helping others and giving them a good opportunity in life saw mum and dad becoming short term foster parents in 1980. We welcomed several youngsters into our home over the next few years.


As you
know Dad enjoyed gardening, walking, reading, and socialising.
Over the
years mum and dad raised money for the charity Action For children through the sale of their plants, sponsored walks, collection boxes, house to house collection and supermarket collections which dad coordinated.


Dad was
a much loved husband, father to three, grandfather to 6 and great grandfather to 4 as well as friend to so many.


We have
received over 100 cards and the main theme that comes across is how much he was loved and respected and that he was a kind, and gentle man.


We are
so proud that we can say that he was our dad.