Family, friends, charities and organisations pay tribute to Roy Wright

A much-loved chemist who devoted ‘countless hours’ to helping the people of Ottery will be remembered for his caring, hardworking attitude and ‘unique sense of humour’.

The death of Roy Wright on January 4, at the age of 86, is a great loss to the many countless groups and charities in the parish to whom he leant his support.

Roy owned and ran Wright’s the Chemist in Broad Street, alongside his wife, for more than 20 years, before retiring and moving to West Hill.

He was described as a man ‘who always did things his own way and followed what he believed’.

Roy was heavily involved with raising money for the town’s hospital – where he was a league of friends’ trustee – and upon retirement, worked for more than two decades as a volunteer with Ottery Help Scheme and Ottery in Bloom.

“If it was for the good of Ottery, he was there,” said Roy’s wife, Ruth.

The couple met as children, when their mothers were friends, but it was not until some years later when their paths crossed again and they went on to marry and have three children – Gill, Nicola and David.

Ruth said: “We were both evacuated during the war so did not see each other for quite a long time. When Roy left school, he joined the RAF, so we did not get together until he came back.

“We moved here together and, in 1973, we moved to live over the shop. That’s when it became Wright’s the Chemist [now Boots]. Roy was involved in raising money for the clock that now sits above Boots. People kept coming in and saying the old clock was telling lies – it used to stop and go again. A group of people got together and decided we needed a new clock. He also had a great interest in allergies and was instrumental in getting the colour taken out of children’s antibiotics.

“If he got hold of something he was passionate about, he was like a dog with a bone and would not let it go. His great belief was he did not sell anybody anything for the sake of it. He always did things his own way and followed what he believed.”

Chairman of Ottery Help Scheme Barbara Pugh said: “Roy retired from the help scheme in June last year after countless hours of service.

“He was a very willing, caring and reliable person who was happy to do the unpopular, low profile requests. Roy had a high sense of civic duty to Ottery and this showed in everything he did for the help scheme and other organisations. He also never failed to make us smile with his unique sense of humour. I have no doubt that he will be missed by a great many people.”

Mayor Glyn Dobson and Keith Spittlehouse of Ottery in Bloom were among the many who paid tribute to Roy, who will be remembered fondly by Ruth, his children, two grandchildren and great granddaughter, and many other residents.