TERENCE ALAN (Terry) peacefully on 22nd March in Exmouth, aged 80 years, after a long illness. Beloved husband of Babs, brother to Wendy, much loved father of Sue, Claire, David and Andrew. Devoted and proud grandfather, great-grandfather and father-in-law. Sadly missed, but happily remembered.
Funeral service to be held at Exeter & Devon Crematorium EX2 6EU on Friday 30th March at 3.15 p.m. Family flowers only please. Donations, if desired, to the Alzheimer’s Society or to the Fernihurst Residents Comfort Fund at the service, or care of P. Turl Funeral Directors, 16 Victoria Road, Topsham EX3 0EU.
Above from Daily Telegraph
From FAAOA records
7.49 – 5.51 Obs Trng
6.51 – 12.52 810NAS 1.53 – 10.53 courses
10.53 – 1.55 Asst Ops + Photographic Off HMS Warrier
2.55 – 5.55 849NAS
6.55 – 5.56 820NAS
6.56 – 7.57 700NAS Trials
FAAOA Treasurer from Feb ’93-’95.
From Fly Navy January 2013
Terry Spybey was born in West Bridgford, Nottingham on 1 October 1931. He was educated at West Bridgford Grammar School where he started his rugby playing career and enjoyed athletics, at the age of 11 he also organized a football team. A member of the Boy Scouts he became a King’s Scout and was also awarded a gallantry medal for rescuing a drowning man while on a scout camp.
On leaving school he was accepted for a short service commission in the Royal Navy. Following initial training Terry joined the No3 AVCAD course, having his first flying experience in an Anson on 11 May 1950, completing his observer training with 719 NAS in 1951 and joining 810 NAS in Fireflys, serving with the Home Fleet in the Mediterranean, flying off the light fleet carriers Ocean, Theseus and Glory out of HMS Falcon (Hal Far Malta). Terry took part in the NATO Exercise Grand Slam on board Theseus in 1952, which included the entry in his flying log,
“Strike on the Home Fleet, 50ft all the way along the South coast of Sicily.”
Terry completed over 318 flying hours with 810 NAS up till November 1952. Early 1953 saw him involved in more training in the Survival School HMS Siskin (RNAS Gosport), air intelligence at HMS Curlew (RNAS St. Merryn) and photography at HMS Peregrine (RNAS Ford).
In October 1953 Terry joined HMS Warrior as Photographic Officer and Asst Ops for Warrior’s post-refit trials in October, and sailed from Devonport on 15 February 1954 for work-up in the Mediterranean with 811 (Sea Fury) and 825 (Firefly) NASs. Warrior embarked to join the United Nations force monitoring the Armistice off Korea, arriving in Singapore to join the Far East Fleet on 12 May 1954. At the request of the Vietnamese Prime Minister, between 4 – 13 September Warrior transported over 3,000 refugees from Haiphong to Saigon resulting in the unusual occurrence of three births on board, Warrior received Presidential Citation from The State of Vietnam in October 1954, together with The Ribbon of Friendship in recognition of her services, as well as displaying a three stork emblem on leaving Saigon, all recorded by Terry in his role as Photographic Officer. Continuing to fly by the time Warrior had returned to Devonport on 14 December 1954 Terry had clocked a total of 582 hrs 10 mins.
After an observer refresher course and temporary assignment to 849 NAS, he joined 820 based at RNAS Eglinton for much of 1955 and back to Singapore (HMS Simbang) and on board HMS Centaur for the early part of 1956, joining 700 NAS at Ford in June 1956, carrying out technical trials and aerial photography of the fleet, with flying time curtailed due to the fuel shortage caused by the Suez crisis Terry decided to resign his commission in June 1957 having completed 849hrs 15mins daylight and 79hrs 20mins night time flying hours.
On leaving the Navy, Terry joined Procter and Gamble as a salesman, where he spent the remainder of his working life, successfully progressing to become Manager of Industrial Chemicals Europe and after 35 years a Director of Procter and Gamble UK, one of his many achievements at P&G was a return to Malaysia, working with the Malayan government establishing production facilities in Malaya. He was also elected president of APAG, a European Association of Fatty Acid Producers. It is debatable whether Terry clocked up more hours in civilian aircraft as a passenger than as an RN observer and he achieved a long held ambition when he flew transatlantic in Concorde.
He married Barbara ‘Babs’, a West Bridgford girl, in 1952, his best man was his friend and sometime pilot, Roger Young – still in touch 60+ years on! Terry was in the Far East serving on HMS Warrior when his first daughter Sue was born. However he was home for the births of three more children, Claire, David and Andrew.
Throughout his life Terry’s passion was Rugby, he played at school, in the Navy, for Rockliffe RFC on Tyneside and for Marlow RFC in Buckinghamshire, where he played (into his 50’s) and was Chairman, President and an Honorary Life Member. During his time as President he secured the future of Marlow RFC with the purchase of their ground.
With encouragement from Mac Rutherford, a near neighbour, Terry joined the FAAOA, to serve for some time as its treasurer. Terry and Babs were for many years members of the Thames Valley FOTM and as members of the Phyllis Court Club were involved with the Summer Lunch organized by Grahame Hattam. Unfortunately ill health prevented Terry from joining the AVCAD reunion of the 1949 entry held in 2006 organized by Mike Rawlinson and Oggie Swanson – he would have really enjoyed meeting comrades again.
One of Terry’s many strengths was his ability to organize and see what needed to be done. As a result of this, Terry served on many committees in various roles, he was a founding committee member of the P&G retirement association, he served on the Parochial Church Council in Rotherfield Greys, was Chairman of 1st Henley Scout Group, Chairman of the finance committee at Phyllis Court Club, and was of course Treasurer of the Fleet Air Arm Officers Association.
Sadly he passed away after a long illness on 22 March 2012. He is survived by and very much missed by his wife Babs, 4 children, 6 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren, 2 sons in law and his many friends and colleagues around the world.