William Edward Strutt

A service at All Saints' church Clipstone which preceded burial at the village cemetery of Mr William Edward (Ted) Strutt (91), a resident of Daleside Residential Home, Forest Town, and formerly of Station Road, Clipstone. Born at Mansfield, Mr Strutt attended Newgate Lane and High Oakham schools and was a member of the Scouts at St Lawrence's Church, Mansfield. On leaving school he became an apprentice motor mechanic at C. P. Evinson, the Ford dealer in Mansfield, where he worked for 30 years, rising to be Ford workshop foreman. He later worked for Jack and Bill Fleet, the builders, and up until his retirement at the Post Office garage in Nottingham. He married the "girl next door" Joyce Littleton at St Peter's Church, Mansfield, on Christmas Eve 1938 and they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary two years before she died in 2001. They had two sons, Peter; John, who died in 1995 aged 50, and a daughter, Jean. During the Second World War Mr Strutt served in the Royal Air Force, Motor Transport Division, and went to France six days into the D-Day landings en-route to travelling through France, Holland and into Germany and Denmark. He enjoyed travelling holidays with his wife, especially to Spain where they spent Christmas for many years, and ventured as far as Hong Kong and Russia. They also made home-made wines together which many of their family and friends will remember. After retirement he kept busy around the house and garden and was still driving into his 90's making regular trips to Asda and into Mansfield for shopping trips. Mr Strutt, who died at King's Mill Hospital, Sutton, a few weeks before his 92nd birthday, leaves his son, Peter, daughter-in-law, Margaret, daughter Jean, son-in-law Mark, daughter-in-law Marion, three grandsons - Stephen and his wife, Cheryl, David and his wife, Helen, and Christopher and his fiancee, Adele - and two great-grandchildren, Hannah and Jonathan. Mourners were the Rev and Mrs P. and M. Strutt, Mr and Mrs M. and J. Lebeter, Mr and Mrs D. Strutt, Mr and Mrs S. Strutt, Mrs M. Strutt, Mr C. Lebeter, Miss A. Charlesworth, Mr and Mrs D. Lebeter, Mrs M. Wardle, Mr A. D. Clay, Mr R. Spafford, Mrs S. Clark, Mrs I. Thompson, Ms S. Davies; Ms S. Soar (representing Mr M. Smith), Mrs J. O'Brien, Mr and Mrs B. Yates, Mr and Mrs K. Weaver, Mr J. Harvey; Mrs J. Czubkowski and Mrs D. Williams (representing Daleside Residential Home), Mr and Mrs T. E. Parrott, Mr and Mrs G. Waterfield. The service was conducted by Mr Strutt's son, the Rev P. Strutt, and the Rev M. Garratt, and arrangements were by G. A. Townroe & Son.