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RUTH MURIEL SAWYER - A EULOGY



Club were a regular feature and Ruth was a good and competitive player;

she particularly enjoyed the Wimbledon fortnight and I soon learnt not to

call her after lunch during those weeks.


During the war Ruth nursed at Weybridge Hospital and in this we see

the beginnings of a service to the community which was to remain with her

for the rest of her life.


In 1956 after Foxwarren Park was sold Ruth moved to Chestnut Lodge,

her home until she died. She moved with her old childhood nanny - a

formidable woman by all accounts who liked to control every aspect of Ruth’s

life, and the nanny’s husband who had also been the butler at Foxwarren.

Now the butler had unfortunately fallen for every butler’s greatest temptation,

and there is a story that Raymond tells of the only time that he ever saw Ruth

annoyed. Dinner was being served one evening when the butler appeared

bearing the wine, and not for the first time considerably the worse for wear.

Beating an unsteady path towards the dining room table it seemed as if he

might fall completely upon it, when recovering at the last moment he put

down a hand, but unfortunately straight into Ruth’s soup scattering the

contents all over her dress. Ruth lifted her voice ever so slightly and said

“This is enough!”


Now I am told that Ruth’s companions upon her arrival at Chestnut Lodge

included her beloved dogs and just six chickens. These were surely humble

beginnings as anybody who has seen the displays of birds now can testily.

Ruth had met Raymond sometime before, as he had known her father through

their shared interest in aviculture; and gradually over the years through their

common interest the collections of animals and birds at Chestnut Lodge

grew. I do not propose to detail their enormous achievements in this area

as these are already well known. However as an outside observer I would

say only this; I have never seen any birds or animals so beautifully kept and

so apparently content as those at Chestnut Lodge.


All her life Ruth took a great interest in everything that went on around her

and like her mother loved to entertain. Ruth was President of the Avicultural

Society, Patron of the Foreign Bird League and the Southern Foreign Bird

Club and her summer garden parties for these and other organisations which

she generously supported were special occasions. In recent years the garden

was also opened as part of the National Gardens Scheme.


Ruth studiously sent out large numbers of Christmas cards - all

handwritten, and with these included gifts of £25 for her godchildren,

continuing a tradition of over 60 years. I wonder how many of us have

godparents like that, or indeed perform with the same due diligence.


Ruth did not cook, she did not drive and she had little interest in

administrative or financial matters or indeed material things. However, she



