RON BARNES OBE
Ron Barnes was involved in many aspects of the Ongar Community.
He was a dedicated Christian who worshipped at St Martin de Tours, the parish church for Ongar, where he was also a member of the Parochial Church Council and a Lay Reader.
Ron was a member of the Labour Party. He served for many years on both Ongar Parish Council and Epping Forest District Council, both of which he had been Chairman.
He represented Shelley Ward and his work supporting residents often exceeded the normal role of an elected councillor. For many families and individuals Ron Barnes was the person to whom they turned in times of difficulty or distress.
For nearly 25 years he was the Head Teacher of Great Stony School, which was situated in Ongar, where many children and young people, with learning or behavioural difficulties, from the Inner London Education Area found sanctuary and support. It is not unusual to find at Zinc, which occupies the former school teaching block, ex pupils returning in the hope of finding Ron.
When he had moments to himself he enjoyed painting, normally in oils or acrylics, swimming and running. Another passion was Scouting for which he occupied the roles of Scout Leader and District Commissioner for Disability Scouting.
He was also the author of three books – one of which is currently available on Amazon for $58.97. Ron would no doubt be staggered at the current value of his writing!
Possibly one of the things for which Ron would wish to be remembered was his passion for Ongar to become twinned with a town in France. His wartime experiences in the Navy inspired him to see the value of Britain having strong links and partnerships with its European neighbours.
His initial attempts to persuade Ongar Parish Council, as it then was, to support his hopes for twinning were twice dashed but at the third attempt he was successful. There is a nice symmetry in that Cerizay, Ongar’s twin town, is situated quite close to the French city of Tours where St Martin was Bishop when Essex was part of Norman France and to whom the Ongar Parish Church is dedicated.
He was pleased to be known as the “Father of Twinning” in Ongar.
Ron Barnes was a kind and generous person who will long live on in the minds of those who knew him and enjoyed his hospitality, companionship and friendship.
Keith Tait
January 2017