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Flight Lieutenant Peter Jones, 4 Sqn and 118 Sqn pilot.
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Tribute to Peter Jones
delivered by Pat Rockall at his memorial service


          It is an honour and privilege to have been invited by Jennifer to speak here today in tribute to Peter as we remember and give thanks for his full and well-lived life.    Peter was a wonderful, dedicated and loyal family man who loved and was loved in equal measure by Jennifer his wife (and sparring partner!) of almost 60 years; his daughter Philippa and son Huw; his grand-daughter Bethany and grandson Luke; his great-granddaughter Eliza May, as well as other members of Peter and Jennifer's extended family.

          In both his professional and public life, Peter can proudly lay claim to a long list of distinguished achievements - whether during his National Service commission in the Royal Engineers; as an RAF fighter pilot; during his term of office with HM Customs and Excise, or during his long and dedicated contribution to local community and political life through his roles with both Copdock and Washbrook Parish Council and with Babergh District Council.

          Of all those achievements, I know that the ones he made in the place that was his home for almost the last 50 years were a source of particular pride to both Peter and Jennifer, and of course of enduring benefit to the people of Copdock and Washbrook.

          To mention just a few. First, a huge debt of gratitude is owed to Peter for his part in finally breaking the deadlock of more than two decades to secure the go-ahead in 1990 for the replacement of the old Copdock Village Hall with a purpose-built new hall within the grounds of the Playing Field complex.

          And, on a second crucial local issue, had it not been for Peter's sheer personal dogged determination in fighting the village's cause to have the Copdock Interchange moved right away from the village, it can only be imagined what life in the village would now be like if it were enduring the current levels of A12 traffic going past all the houses on the London Road.   It is in the nature of achievements in public life that sometimes they are best measured by what cannot be seen rather than the things that can. And, undoubtedly, one of Peter's most enduring achievements must surely be the cars that his beloved village doesn't see!

          Sadly, though, a third achievement of Peter's that perhaps many would still like to see can no longer be seen.   Peter worked hard to obtain the District Council's agreement to convert a council property into a shop and post office on Pearsons Way, a greatly valued asset to the village for a time, but ultimately it simply could not compete with a superstore close to the village and had to close.   But this achievement on behalf of the village is not diminished by that fact, and if he were listening in right now, I hope that Peter himself might say "Well, two out of three ain't bad!"   And, indeed, I am sure we would all agree, it ain't!

          Of course, whether as family, friends or colleagues, we will all have our own treasured memories of Peter and knowledge of his achievements and contribution in the spheres of his life that touched our own.

          For example, I have known Peter since 1999 when he was on the panel that appointed me as Chief Executive of Babergh District Council, a post that I took up at the same time as Peter's unanimous election as Chairman of the Council.   Of which, a little more later!

          But whilst the facts and events that we each remember about Peter will inevitably vary amongst us, I am certain that if any of us were to try to describe the essence and qualities of the Peter that we knew and loved, we would all be reaching for the same words.

          And, in remembering Peter today through our individual experience of knowing him, perhaps the best tribute we can collectively pay is to recognise those personal qualities that were an absolute constant in everything Peter did and stood for and which made his many personal, professional and public achievements possible.

          Peter was a true gentleman and a gentle man.   He was unfailingly polite, courteous and respectful, even to those who did not always deserve it!   He was not noisy or showy and never forced his opinion on others, but when he spoke, he did so with a clear belief in what he was speaking up for and with a deep integrity that earned him enormous respect from those around him.

          Peter had a wonderful sense of humour - again, deployed quietly and to great effect.   I can't vouch for how he landed his RAF planes, but his ability to land a perfectly aimed and timed hilarious quip when you least expected it was unerring!   But it was always delivered with a twinkle in his eye and always devoid of any malice or ill-will.

          Peter had other qualities too that I had personal experience of.   For example, he was both honest and willing to admit if he felt that he had made a mistake.

          Sometime after he and I had been working together as Chairman of the Council and Chief Executive respectively, Peter bravely chose to share with me that he had not supported my appointment because he did not think a woman would be able to do the job.   He went on to say, however, that he had been proved wrong and was now delighted with my appointment.

          And if it was brave to admit that privately to me, it was braver still to say the same thing in front of a much larger audience when speaking on the occasion of my departure from the Council in 2011.   It takes a big man to speak so publicly about what he came to see as an error of judgement on his part - would that more of us were able and willing to do that.

          I also know from personal experience that Peter is a forgiving man.   I know this because, sometime in the early months of working together, I had to drive Peter with a couple of other councillors to a local authority event.

          It was pouring with rain, and I needed to stop at a bank on Hadleigh High St.   Promising I would only be a few minutes, I jumped out of the car leaving them in there.   In fact, I was probably in the bank for 10-15 minutes, and when I got back to the car I could see that the windows were totally steamed up.   I opened the car door to find three puce coloured councillors virtually falling out of the car, gasping for breath.   "There's no air in here!!" Peter gasped.   "So why didn't you open the windows or get out?"   I asked in bewilderment.   "BECAUSE YOU HAD LOCKED US IN AND SO THE WINDOWS WERE LOCKED TOO!!" came his breathless explanation!

          Peter - thank you for your forgiveness on that one, and for your great good humour about the whole incident!

          There are so many more things that we would all recognise and celebrate about the essential nature of Peter.   But the time has come simply to say thank you to Peter for what he meant and will always mean to his family, friends and colleagues.   Our lives have all been enhanced through knowing Peter - as have the lives of countless others over many years for whom, one way or another, Peter worked so bravely and tirelessly.

          Rest in peace, dear Peter, proud of all your achievements and the legacy you have left.   The life you have lived is an example to us all.

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