Ray Belson – The Wildlife Conservation Volunteer - Obituary
A LEADING wildlife conservation volunteer, Raymond Edward Belson, died after a long illness, at the Earl Mountbatten Hospice, Newport, aged 72, on December 28.
A respected member of the Wight Nature Fund and Hampshire and IW Wildlife Trust, Mr Belson was born in Weymouth, Dorset, on June 10, 1940.
He excelled with his work at Alverstone Mead and other areas around the Island as a wildlife conservation volunteer, mending machinery and building wooden nest boxes, bird feeders and homes for hedgehogs and dormice. His photography was also used on display boards.
Mr Belson went on to win the Hampshire and IW Trust’s volunteer of the year award for 2012.
His late parents, Jack, a Royal Marine commando, and Ada, moved to Shanklin when he was a few months old and he was educated at Shanklin and Cowes.
He joined the Royal Engineers as a regular when he turned 18 and remained in the service for six years.
Mr Belson, of Queenbower, married Ann at the Church of the Sacred Heart, Shanklin, on September 14, 1963. They celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary last year.
On leaving the army, he worked at Rookley Brickyard, followed by spells at various firms, which included Ronson’s, Newport, as a metal polisher, Wellworthy, Lymington, which manufactured pistons for Rolls Royce aero engines, Temperature, Lake, and Axford Engineering, Newport.
Until retirement, he worked as a postman in Wroxall.
In his spare time, he was a scout leader at units in Shanklin and Lake and he was a keen long-distance walker.
Mr Belson was also a Land Rover enthusiast and made a pedal-powered boat, which twice won the Sink or Swim event across the Medina.
His funeral will be held at the IW Crematorium, Whippingham, at noon on Tuesday, January 22.
Mr Belson is survived by his wife and sons, Sean and Kevin.