GENEROUS was a word that cropped up often at the Thanksgiving Service in celebration of the life of R D M (Douglas) Penny at Crediton Parish Church on Tuesday.

The church was full with people from the many facets of DP’s life. It was a celebration when laughter came with some of the memories.

Two sons, Alex and Michael, gave a tribute to him. Richard had read a passage from Corinthians, the Rev Louis Baycock had read Psalm 112 and at the end Philip Penny read the poem The Parting Glass. The service was taken by the Rector of Crediton, Rev Preb Nigel Guthrie.

That DP was a surprising and amazing man was evidenced by what his sons said. Support for and caring for other people came through, fun and encouragement, inspiration.

This is what his son Alex wrote about Douglas - born at Manley Tiverton on February 20, 1923. His Godfather was Sir Douglas Mawson the famous Antarctic Explorer.

Douglas was educated at Blundell’s School until 1940. He played in the school rugby team and in his last year was part of the school team that won the Roehampton Cup for Seven-a-Side Rugby. Later the same year he volunteered for the Royal Navy.

He spent most of the war on fighting ships mostly corvettes on convoy duty but was part of the Naval Forces that provided anti-submarine cover for the American forces on D-Day.

In 1945 he married Peggy Furlong an Irish nurse whom he met while she was nursing his brother Ritchie, an artilleryman who lost a leg in the North African Desert Campaign.

In 1946 he was demobilised and trained as a solicitor – in 1948 he started working for Frank Veitch who practiced as Dryden and Veitch at 2 Market Street, Crediton – and remained based in those offices for the rest of his working life.

He joined Crediton RFC in 1947 and played for them until the mid 1950s – he was captain between 1949 – 1952 and served as Assistant Secretary and Secretary at Crediton. In 1961 he joined the Devon RFU committee and was hon secretary from 1966 until 1971.

It seems that Douglas was considered to be one of the best fly-halves never to play for Devon – he was not prepared to transfer to one of the Exeter clubs but preferred to continue playing for Crediton.

He was a keen supporter of Crediton Operatic Society and was awarded a life membership. This award was very important to him and the award certificate remained hung on his walls until the end of his life.

In the mid 1950s Douglas became District Commissioner of Scouts for Crediton Area – and he took part in some of the Gang Shows put on by the Crediton Scout Group. He helped with the Jubilee Garden in People’s Park in 1957 and went to the International Scout Jamboree at Sutton Coldfield in the same year.

By an incredible co-incidence in early 2016 he met the widow of a police inspector involved in the jubilee - she was then living at the Kenwyn Home in Crediton.

In 1959 he moved his family to Tiverton but continued to commute to Crediton to work.

The family moved back to Crediton in the early 1970’s to a house in Chapel Downs Drive. They moved down to Farthings in Belle Parade in 1976.

Douglas became a member of Crediton Golf Club at its inception and played regularly throughout most of his life.

From 1946 until 1956 he was blessed with the arrival of six sons. Eventually as the family outgrew ordinary saloon cars he purchased a Bedford Crewbus with wood slatted seats for transporting them around. His seventh son arrived in 1965.

Douglas became a freemason in November 1959 joining a lodge in Tiverton. His own personal values were very much the same as the Masonic virtues and he flourished within the organisation.

Eventually he joined many of the higher orders of Freemasonry and reached high ranks at County and National level in a lot of them.

It was always a matter of great pride that four of his sons have followed him into Freemasonry and all continue to be active – particularly as two have achieved high rank at County and London Level and the other two have been Masters of their lodges.

In 2009 Douglas completed 50 years continuous service as a Freemason and his son Michael as master of the Province of Devon awarded him his certificate – for him something very important. In his latter years failing health made it difficult to attend meetings but he always attended when he could.

Douglas was a member of the Lundy Field Society in his later years and made many good friends connected with Lundy and its past and enjoyed many trips to the island both with the Society and on holidays. He also shared this interest with his family and his youngest son is still a keen supporter of the society.

In 1995 Douglas and Peggy celebrated their golden wedding anniversary with lunch together at an Exeter hotel on the very day Peggy was admitted to hospital for treatment. Sadly she never recovered full health again and died the following year.

After a gradual move from work into retirement during the 1990s Douglas continued with a busy retirement with much time spent on Freemasonry and travelling around his other interests.

He devoted a lot of time to his family and was a regular visitor to the homes of his children and indeed to his grandchildren.

He loved a traditional Sunday dinner with all the trimmings and there was seldom a week when he was not out visiting family and enjoying his Sunday lunch.

He loved watching the younger generations as they grew up into their own distinctive personalities and always took great pleasure meeting many of them at his regular family events at Christmas and during the summer holiday or when they popped in to see him – which many did when passing by or visiting.

In a private or professional capacity, Douglas was always ready to offer his help and advice and encouragement to those who wanted it – whether in respect of business or personal affairs, and in his personal life he made many lifelong friendships.

In the last few years of his life his health declined as he suffered from Parkinson’s Disease and he had to stop driving – which of course meant he spent more time at home.

Time he devoted to looking after his companion in her later years. Before her death in 2016, she spent nearly a year in homes and in hospital – in Exeter and surrounding towns – Douglas would persuade someone in his family to drive him to visit her nearly every day – despite his own ill health.

Shortly after her death, Douglas had a fall and at the age of 93 he reluctantly accepted that he was unable to look after himself and in autumn 2016 he moved into a care home in Crediton … and from there to a Masonic home in Exeter.

Douglas accepted living in a home and quietly got on with life – making friends within the home and accepting a stream of visitors. He loved his bingo every week and was invariably lucky in winning! He also enjoyed occasional jaunts with other residents in the Home’s minibus.

Douglas remained cheerful until the end, he never accepted the restrictions of old age and illness and fought against them to the end.

Indeed, it is fair to say that in his last year he was gradually getting a bit more confident and in his last week he had had a visit to the theatre in Plymouth with a son and had been for a drive back to his old home with his granddaughter – events he greatly enjoyed.

Talking about his father’s Masonic journey, Michael said his father had been initiated into All Souls Lodge 6677 in 1969 at the age of 36.

He received several promotions in the craft and was elected as an Honorary Member of more than 50 Lodges across Devon.

Not only that, he was connected with much more including being a member of the South Western Counties Province of the Royal Order of Scotland, Substitute Provincial Grand Master in the Province of Hertfordshire and a member of the Order of the secret Moniton and Knights Templar Priests in both of which he held high Rank.

Michael added that it would be fair to describe his father as “a Masonic Action Man” both in the number of lodges and chapters of which he was a Member and what he achieved in each one, many at the high or highest ranks.

He said how his father would do any task asked of him and into which he would always put his high octane energy, drive and enthusiasm.

He added that his father always acknowledged the important role his wife, Peg, played in supporting the family at home and enabling Doug;as to follow his Masonic career.

He said he was a natural mentor to junior members well before the importance of that role was recognised by Grand Lodge.

“I think it is far to say that Dad had a strong personal presence, was a first-class ritualist with the gift of being an easy mixer and very comfortable with all-comers right across the social spectrum.”

Alex also said his father was “generous beyond belief” and a thoughtful person.

Sue Read