BUSINESSMAN Colin Rodway, who was well known in both Malvern and Ledbury as a trader and active member of the community, has died, aged 67.

Mr Rodway, of St Andrew's Road, Malvern, passed away on Thursday, December 27, after an illness of several months' duration.

A pupils of Somers Park Avenue School and the Chase, Mr Rodway studied at the RRE College of Electronics before joining his parents' hardware business.

During his time in the trade, he ran Rodways shops in Malvern Link, Barnards Green and Ledbury, the last of which is still open.

"He was devoted to the trade and loved running the shops and helping his customers," said his wife Angela.

Among the high points of his career was serving as president of the British Hardware Foundation, to which he was elected in 2006.

"While he was president we attended the conference at Shanghai, which was wonderful," said Mrs Rodway. "He also served on the foundation's legal and parliamentary committee, which he was very proud off."

Mr Rodway was an active member of Holy Trinity Church, Link Top. Rev Derek Sharples said: "He was a great pillar of the community and was held in very high esteem by the congregation. He was always a positive and generous man."

He was also an active member of community groups such as Rotary, Round Table and the 41 Club.

Trevor Guiver, a friend of 40 years' standing, said: "He was chairman of Round Table and later of the 41 Club, and everything he did, he threw himself into and made a lasting impression."

Rotarian Harry Tanner said: "The Rotary motto is Self Before Service and Colin lived a life of service to those less fortunate than him.

"He would take his responsibilities very seriously, but always with a sense of humour. He always had a little one-liner that could relax any tense situation."

In Ledbury, where his shop has been open since 1989, Mr Rodway frequently acted as a spokesman for the town's traders. "He will be sadly missed," said fellow trader Duncan Isaacs.

A funeral service is being held at Holy Trinity Church, Link Top, on Tuesday, January 17, at 11am. It will be followed by a cremation for close family members only, but guests are welcome at Worcestershire Golf Club in Malvern Wells after the service.

Family flowers only are requested, but donations can be made to the UCL Amyloidosis Research Fund.

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