Gerald was an easy going, strong willed, hardworking man and you always knew where you stood with him. He would always be looking out for others and it was hard to fall out with Gerald.
 
He was always up for a challenge and he could fix virtually anything. He would come up with ingenious solutions to whatever needed fixing and found more uses for cable ties than anyone thought possible.
 
If there was only one word I could use for describing Gerald, it would be selfless. He thought of others before himself. He would help anyone out and put them ahead of his own priorities.
 
Family were at the centre of Gerald’s thoughts. He was totally family focussed and was always encouraging them to live and enjoy their lives.
 
He was a very positive man, determined and always seemed to be in a hurry to get things done. The word procrastinate did not feature in his vocabulary.
 
Gerald, it has to be said, was a clumsy man; if there was anything that could be tripped over, he seemed to be able to find it!  Being a Taurus, he lived up to being a bull in a china shop! He was really good company and had a ready keen quick wit which he always used to put people at ease.
 
He was quite a traditional man, very much a man of his generation. A man who held strong beliefs in right and wrong and Gerald was a man of principle.
 
He was a very caring, loving, kind and considerate man. Gerald was an absolute character, who could be proud of a life well lived. Without doubt once met, never forgotten.
 
I would say that he was the salt of the earth, adding his own unique flavour, wherever he went and to whoever he met.
 
Now there are two dates on the front of the order of service, separated by a dash. Gerald’s date of birth and date of passing; Just a dash. Well Gerald without any shadow of doubt, was not just a dash, so let’s talk about that dash; his life.
 
Gerald Frederick Rambridge, was born to Ruth and Fred, who was a milk man, in Worthing, on the 20th May 1933, George the Fifth was on the throne, Ramsey McDonald was prime minister. No televisions, no home computer, no mobile phones, no social media, very different times indeed.
 
He was brought up in Cotswold Road Durrington and was one of five with brothers, Bob, Don, Reg and George. Now Bob has already passed away so of course we think of him today also.
 
At the outbreak of war aged just 6, he was separated from his family and evacuated with brother Bob to Mansfield. Gerald always described this as a testing time and he did not enjoy himself.
It seems to be that it was with the family in Mansfield he developed his extreme dislike of Onions. The lady of the house seemed to cook everything with Onions. As we know, from then on, Gerald would never eat anything with onions in it!
 
Once back in Worthing, Gerald attended Durrington Primary and West Tarring schools. He used to tell a story of walking home during the war in Durrington when an enemy fighter flew low and strafed the road he was on. A neighbour rushed to him and through himself over the young Gerald.
 
He was also to clearly recall the sound of a doodle bug flying over and the awful silence as it fell to earth. He was fascinated by the war all his life despite what must have been a traumatic experience for a young lad.
 
When he was about 16, Gerald left school and went to live in Luton. He worked as a mechanic on both of cars and motor cycles but preferred bikes as he also rode motor cycles.
 
He returned to Worthing again and lived in ‘Ten Acres’, where everyone knew everyone!
 
All through his life he would tinker with cars and motorbikes whenever he could, he then worked at Jordan and Cooks in removals. It was doing this job that he always said gave him his hernias and he had few!
 
From there he worked for another removal company and office moving before finishing his working life at the Inland Revenue. Finally retiring in 1991.
 
He met Betty at a friend’s wedding in 1957 and the rest as they say is history. They married on the 27th June 1959, setting up home in Princess Avenue from then until now.
 
Mark made his arrival in 1960, Jane 1962 and David completed the family in 1974.
 
Family holidays back in the 60’s would be mainly at Pontins and good times would always be had. These would be very typical British holidays, with a best baby competition, buckets and spades and of course fish and chips.
 
One memory that Gerald would have probably preferred to forget; was the year he drove the family in a VW camper van. After setting the two upper bunks in the folding roof he got his head stuck between them!
 
Gerald was a proud man and very proud of his late Uncle John who died as a hero in France. He accompanied his mother to a celebration in honour of him in the 70’s. A moment that lived with him forever.
 
All through his life, Gerald enjoyed his food; he had a good appetite and ate virtually everything from Lasagne and shepherd’s pie through to Chinese curry. There was one thing he did particularly enjoy and that was tinned fruit.
When it came to a drink, Gerald may have an occasional drink but he much preferred a nice cup of tea, always with a custard cream.
 
He was up on modern technology and was very good on his computer. He was entirely self-taught and he would search the internet with confidence do all the online banking as well as collating all the family photographs, he especially liked to put together collages.
 
Gerald like to keep up with current affairs and loved to watch Bargain Hunt but his favourite was war films. He just recently enjoyed 1917. The last film that he managed to watch.
 
Gerald enjoyed robust health throughout his life and in 2017 coped with cancer treatment but this last couple of months have been very challenging. Difficult as this is to hear; it was his time, he is free from pain and is now at peace.
 
Gerald passed away after a long life but it still feels to soon. He will be sorely missed by everyone who had the privilege to know and love him.
 
I asked what Gerald would have said, had he been part of the conversation planning today and I was assured that he would have wanted no fuss and would be pleased that all the arrangements have happened so quickly and efficiently, he said he wanted everyone to have a party and get together in his honour. Whilst we can’t do it properly today we will have the party he wanted in the summer.