Terry was a man of many names. Little Ter to his family, Terence when in trouble, Tench in his youth, “The Bear” to some workmates, Dad and Gramps. He was born on 10th January 1944 in West Street, Axbridge and moved to Orchard Road when he was 3. He was the second youngest of 9 children, having 4 brothers and 4 sisters. His Mum was a cook and his Dad did various jobs, including debt collector and auctioneer’s assistant and Terry was roped in to help on many occasions.
He went to school at Axbridge Primary School and then Cheddar Secondary Modern with Mr Williams as Headmaster. He either cycled or roller skated to school each day.
He left school at 15 and worked on a farm but that was only for a few weeks and then went to work for H J Maunders. He worked for several different firms including W C Maunders and Somerset Plant either as a digger driver or bricklayer. He worked for Ford Brothers for 32 years and retired in 2009.
Terry met Lynn at a dance in Bird’s Assembly Rooms, Winscombe and they married on 23 March1968. Paul was born on 26th March 1969 and Louise on1st October 1971. Their only grandchild, Shannon, was born on 5th April 1995.
He loved playing and watching darts and played from the age of 16 at the Crown, Axbridge and The Wheatsheaf at Stone Allerton. After moving to Cheddar he played darts at The Fraser Hall and in 1977 won the British Legion Individual County Darts Championship. Over the years he won lots of team, individual and pairs trophies with different teams. After The Fraser Hall closed he started playing darts at The White Hart, Cheddar and over the last few years the Tuesday night games not playing in a league became a more relaxed affair.
Terry travelled, under duress, to New England in 1995 with Lynn and Louise, not thinking he would like America but found that he loved it and made several other trips with Lynn to Washington and Oregon, Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks and they enjoyed a cruise to Alaska, leaving from Vancouver. The interest was always in the wildlife and whale watching became a must on most trips. They hired a motorhome to travel through the Rockies and managed to put out all the electrics in the van on the first night. For their 40th wedding anniversary they took the trip of a lifetime when they hired a motorhome and travelled New Zealand – while they were there they were able to connect with former Axbridge friends, Victor Holloway and Peter Vincent who they had not seen for many years.
They had caught the motorhome bug and decided to buy their own when they retired together in 2009. They travelled extensively throughout the UK, France and Germany until 2015 when after a series of problems with the van and ill-health they made the decision to sell ‘the van’.
Terry loved pottering in his garden with his shadow, “little cat” Gabby, and watching any sport on TV. Cowboy films were a lifelong obsession with many of Lynn and Terry’s early dates revolving around watching them in Weston cinemas and he was always drawn to them on TV, even if he had seen them many times before. He loved singing to himself and favourites were “Chantilly Lace” in the shower and “She’ll be coming round the mountain “on car journeys. In spite of this love of singing he hated musicals even going so far as to fall asleep during Phantom of the Opera in London.
Terry was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December 2000 but was always positive through his treatments and many other health issues. After a couple of years of really bad health, 2017 started well and he enjoyed several holidays including one to Canada to visit Louise and Russell’s new home. He also went to France to see Twinning friends, Pierre and Francois, in their new home, something he hadn’t been able to do for a while. Towards the end of the year his health deteriorated and it was found that the prostate cancer had spread to his bones and then to his liver and lungs. He suffered increasing pain and discomfort but kept confounding everyone when he came out of hospital in March after treatment for sepsis.
Lynn and Terry celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary on 23rd March and although getting really tired he enjoyed seeing the many friends and family at home that day.
He died at home on 5th April.
Lynn, Paul, Louise and Shannon would like to thank Axbridge Medical Practice and the hospitals, doctors, nurses and carers that have treated Terry, especially over the last few months. They would also like to thank the many friends and family that have visited him helping to relieve the frustration of sitting in the house unable to do his garden or play darts.
We will miss his smiling face, a comment made on a lot of the cards received by the family but we know that he is now out of pain and in peace.