The funeral of former furniture and flooring retailer Ray Pearce took place on 9 June. He was 84.
Following his national service in 1958-1960, he became an apprentice upholsterer and mattress maker which led to him becoming a self-employed carpet fitter for County Carpets in Winchester.
However, problems with his knees meant he had to give up fitting and moved to furniture retailer Hebels in the town as a manager.
When the Hebels building was taken over by pub chain Wetherspoons, Pearce moved to carpet retailer Duthie & Laurie as a manager, until his retirement in 2014.
Winchester born and bred, Pearce’s passion was politics. He joined the Liberals and first stood for election in 1978, although it took him until 1986 to become a councillor. He retained his seat for the next 28 years before his retirement.
He was major of Winchester in 1994-1995, and in 2008 had a housing development named after him: Pearce Court (pictured).
He married his wife Barbara in 1962, and they had three sons: Mark, Ian and Bryan, 10 grand-children and six great-grand-children.
Donations, if desired, to Cancer Research UK can be made at www.steelsfunerals.co.uk.
