Bexhill man, who sang in Queen’s coronation, dies from Covid-19

Tributes have been paid to a Bexhill man, who sang at the Queen’s coronation, after he died from Covid-19.

William Raison was 15 when he was in the choir at St Margaret’s School, Westminster.

His stepdaughter, Melissa Hall, said: “One of his big achievements was singing in the Queen’s coronation in 1953.

“We have all the memorabilia, his rehearsal schedule, the programme with his name in it, the certificate and the medal he received.

William Raison when he was a choir boy SUS-210126-125133001

“He used to tell us all about it, how he cycled there for rehearsals when he lived in Fulham, how the actual day was really long as he and the other boys had to sit up in the gods very quietly for hours but they all got to go to a big bun fight after the ceremony in celebration.

“Together with my mum, he moved from Cornwall to be nearer to us a year and a half ago due to his stroke he had in 2018.

“He was a keen singer all his life and was in two choirs before his stroke and a keen poet.

“Unfortunately the stroke took his speech away but when he moved here the Stroke Association helped him attend the Bexhill Choir Group and that part of his brain allowed him to sing.

William Raison's medal and other things he received after singing at the Queen's coronation in 1953 SUS-210126-125143001

“It was such a highlight of his time in Bexhill as he wasn’t able to do much else physically.”

William spent most of his working life employed by the Ministry of Defence as a technical author.

He was also a cab driver in London, which he found ‘a lot of fun’. His stepdaughter said.

Melissa added: “His retirement was spent with choirs, collating local village information for the larger local newspaper in Cornwall and Bible translations into rare languages for a charity.”

William died on December 29, aged 82.

His funeral takes place on Monday (February 1).

The funeral hearse will leave Cranfield Road at 1.30pm on Monday if anyone wants to pay respects. Funeral and flowers will be a strictly family affair but donations can go to the Stroke Association.

Visit www.stroke.org.uk/donate/make-donation.

* Got a story? Ring reporters Richard Gladstone on 07803 505794 or Stephen Wynn-Davies on 07393 754494.

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