Family's tribute to Rugby man John Edward Tysall

John Edward Tysall died on March 25 and because of social distancing measures restricting the number of people allowed at funerals, John's family contacted the Advertiser to ask that a tribute be included.

Sally Merrick, John's daughter, wrote: "John was born in 1931. He was an athletic, sporty young man - riding his bike to Skegness with his mates, swimming in the outdoor lido, playing football and cricket.

"He swam for the Rugby water polo team, played cricket for villages and works teams and was considered for goalie for Leicester City once.

"He saw national service at the end of the war and spent time in Germany.

"His working life was varied and mostly unknown to me until I was in my late teens when he revealed he'd been a chain maker and a coal man before a career in car manufacturing with Roots, Chrysler and others.

"I asked him just last week what had been his favourite job and it was as a forklift truck driver for those companies.

"He did well at a national competition for best truck driver and was proud until the end.

"When I was 11, my single mother Irene asked what kind of new dad I wanted.

"I asked for a farmer from by the sea, she came back from a dance with this forklift truck driver from Rugby.

"Six weeks after they met they married and with my two brothers I moved to Rugby to live with this new dad.

"He was a good find this man.

"He built me my own bike out of bits and pieces, a set of rabbit hutches out of scrap wood and tidied the hand built shed so I could have my own den.

"He took me on scary fairground rides, put up with my teenage huffs and never criticised my friends or life choices.

"He made excellent pancakes, whistled a lot and was devoted to my mother. They were married for over 50 years.

"Since 1995 he suffered with ill health and rapidly lost his mobility.

"He could no longer bomb about in his car and had to suffice with a large and very swish buggy that he proudly rode to Rugby most Saturdays to enjoy tea and cake in the church and buy flowers for mum from the market.

"Frequent mutterings reverberated around Shakespeare Gardens about his speed on that buggy but he loved it.

"I never heard him complain. No 'why me?' He just got on doing what he could and made friends wherever he went.

"He went to Cedar Ward, Hamilton House and Dewar Close for respite.

"No longer mobile, he became an avid dominoes player, loving being able to play with his friends at these centres.

"He was a man of few words my dad but every day I saw him his first greeting was 'everyone alright?'

"Once reassured by 'yes they're all fine' he'd smile and say 'good.' He just wanted to know everyone in the family was well and happy.

"He'll be missed by many because John was a good man. Kind, considerate, achingly polite and gentle. A real gentleman."