RON Duhy, former company secretary at Bungay bookprinters Clays who played a prominent part in public life in the town for many years, has died at the age of 95.

RON Duhy, former company secretary at Bungay bookprinters Clay's and a man who played a prominent part in public life in the town for many years, has died

aged 95.

Mr Duhy was twice Town Reeve and also chairman of the former Bungay Urban District Council and the successor town council, as well as being a member and former president of Bungay Rotary Club.

His late wife Olive was founder president of Bungay Inner Wheel.

Mr Duhy, who had lived at the Crest-a-Dene residential home at Poringland for many years, having previously lived at Ditchingham, moved to Bungay in 1952 to work at Clay's, a company he joined at its London office in 1933.

His interest in town activities began almost immediately, and he joined the Cherry Tree Angling Club, serving spells as its chairman and president before being made an honorary life president.

He was elected to the former Bungay UDC in 1954 and was chairman for two years, from 1962-64. Twenty years after joining the council he became the first chairman of the new town council in 1974. In all, he spent 22 years in local government.

A feoffee of Bungay Town Trust, he served as Town Reeve for two successive years, 1965-66, and during that time he represented Bungay at the installation of the first Chancellor of the University of East Anglia in Norwich. He stood down as a feoffee in 2004.

He served as a magistrate, as a general commissioner of taxes, and was involved in and helped to found the Bungay Community Council, which set up the community

centre in Upper Olland Street in the 1970s. He was its chairman for many years.

A governor of the former Bungay Grammar (now High) School, and member and president of Bungay Bowls Club were other posts Mr Duhy held during a busy life in the town he loved and served.

The Rotary movement was another interest of Mr Duhy, who joined the Bungay club soon after moving to Bungay and was president in 1963-64.

He remained a member up to his death, latterly as an honorary member.

In all, Mr Duhy spent 44 years with Clay's, becoming assistant company secretary on his move to Bungay, before being made company secretary. He retired in 1977.

He leaves a son, daughter, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The funeral service will be at Earlham Crematorium in Norwich on Thursday, May 15 at noon.

Donations in his memory are being invited for the Save the Children charity or for the Emmanuel Church in Bungay.