It is with great sadness we report that Councillor Roy Pike has passed away at the age of 89. Roy joined the Parish Council in May 2003, serving the parish and local residents for around 15 years.
Roy served on the Planning and Highways Committee, the Finance Committee, the Staffing Committee and the Grants Working Party during his time with the council. He also represented the parish council on the Shinfield and Swallowfield Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) for many years. Prior to retiring, Roy worked for Sigmund Pulsometer Pumps, known as ‘SPP’ an engineering firm based in Reading, who are a leading manufacturer of centrifugal pumps and associated systems. Roy was married with 2 daughters.
In later years, he enjoyed taking coach trips away in the UK, and was a keen gardener, often giving out valuable gardening tips and advice and also a keen cake baker. Roy gave the staff a Christmas gift every year in the form of a bowl of indoor hyacinths, and would seek regular updates on how successfully they bloomed, enjoying seeing photographs of them.
Roy was a stickler for doing things properly, and would ask questions and challenge ideas that he felt were not correct. He sought to serve his residents by ensuring efficient use of the parish council’s finances, and would seek to obtain the best value for money at all times. We will remember Roy for his sense of humour, and his determination to ensure that things were right.
