Christine, Frazer and Laura would like to thank everyone for the many cards, letters and personal messages they have received following the sudden loss of Ron. We have been overwhelmed by the many kind words and tributes which reflected the high regard in which he was held by so many.

It was a huge shock when we discovered, just before the February Bull Sales, that his illness had progressed.  We both tried to continue as normally as possible and being at work was a great help in coping with the anxieties and worries we faced.

After a great deal of thought, Ron decided to stand down from his position as Chief Executive but he continued to be wholly involved in all things to do with the Society.  I was very concerned when he went back to work just days after leaving hospital in June, but he was determined to get back to the office and his staff. For him, it was his way of dealing with the situation.

He was always committed to his role working to improve and innovate for the good of the Society, its members and their standing in the beef industry. He would have been immensely proud of the tributes paid that acknowledged his hard work and dedication to the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society.

In his role he always enjoyed the opportunity to meet people from a wide range of backgrounds, from farmers to retailers and members of other Angus Societies from around the world. There were many mentions of his ‘mischievous sense of humour and cheerful banter’ in the messages we received.  That is something we will all miss.

The Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society was a huge part of his and our lives as a family and we wanted to acknowledge how much we appreciated the vast number of messages and cards we received from those he met through work. We would also like to express our sincere thanks to all those who attended the funeral service and who so generously donated to our nominated charities, achieving £2100 for Macmillan Cancer Support and Marie Curie.