A HEARTWARMING tribute was paid to a Spreyton man, Ken Vile, at his funeral service, held at St Michael’s Church, where he had given 39 years’ service looking after the church, the grounds and fabric and community.

The funeral service, which saw many people standing as all the seats were full, was conducted by Canon Michael Hall, who spoke fondly of Ken and his devotion to the church and his love of church bellringing.

The address was given by Ken’s dear friend, the Rt Hon, The Lord Burnett.

He told the congregation: “Ken Vile was born at Boyacre Farm, Hittisleigh on December 22, 1928, to Frank and Lily Vile who farmed Boyacre.

“As a child growing up on the farm - at a very impressionable age - he witnessed and endured at first-hand the consequences of the terrible depression in agriculture and other parts of the economy in the 1930s. They were very difficult times of real hardship and deprivation. The market for farm products was close to collapse. There were no luxuries and whatever living there was to be made was meagre.

“From the age of five-years old, he would walk three miles or so across country to school and afterwards, three miles back home again to the farm. After Junior School aged 11, he went to Chagford School, bicycling three or four miles to catch the bus and the same on his return.

“He had, like most others in those days, a tough and demanding upbringing. This gave him resilience, a proper sense of priorities and a great sense of humour.

“After school, he worked for a short while at another farm, and at 22, he went back to Boyacre to help his parents on their farm.

“It was shortly after this that he had the greatest of good fortune to meet Sylvia at a dance – here in Spreyton. They courted for a while and then married at this church, St. Michael’s, on January 16, 1957.

“Soon after the wedding, Ken joined Devon County Council as Highway Superintendent for Spreyton and the surrounding area, where he worked until he retired at 65.

PARISH COUNCILLOR

“Ken was a member of Spreyton Parish Council for 24 years and chairman for 12 years.

“He was a parishioner of St Michael’s from the early 1950s, and soon joined the Spreyton Bellringers. In 1958 he was elected to the Parochial Church Council. In the early 1960s, Viscount Lambert – who had been Liberal MP for this area until 1945 – donated a shield to be competed for annually at St Michael’s by teams of bellringers. The Spreyton team was the first to win it and they went on to win it several times subsequently. In 1977, Ken was elected a churchwarden, and continued in that role for 39 years.

“He was always a loyal Liberal. He organised this part of our constituency effort for me for a long time. In those days the constituency of Torridge and West Devon was huge – geographically one of the largest in England and with a very high population.

GREAT AND LOYAL FRIEND

“He was a great and loyal friend to me and I shall forever be grateful to him. However, we did not always agree on tactics; he was an early bird – up at the crack of dawn – and as many of you will know, this was not a trait I shared with him. He was up with the lark, and whilst I was not up with the owl, I was comfortable to be about with the cuckoo!

“The political vocabulary can, occasionally, be quite confusing. On local and national election days, we’d go ‘knocking up’. This means trying to get the vote out. I would emphasise to Ken that it would be counter productive to go banging on people’s doors at 6am. We’d always - very amicably and with much laughter – agree a compromise.”

DEVONSHIRE GENTLEMAN

John Burnett added: “Ken and Sylvia were a devoted couple. He knew how very fortunate he was to have such a wonderful and loyal wife. Ken was, and Sylvia remains infinitely grateful to their beautiful and kind niece, Sue. She has for many years helped and supported them. She has been a Godsend.

“Ken Vile, as a husband to Sylvia, as a friend to many, and as a proper Devonshire gentleman, you were loyal, proud and true.

“May you rest in peace.”

Canon Hall said Ken, who was the youngest of three brothers, had been a church bellringer at Spreyton for more than 70 years and was always thoughtful and kind.

CREDITON COURIER

He spoke of his strong faith, how he organised bingo and whist drives as fundraisers and about the regular columns he wrote about local news for many years in the “Crediton Courier”, as he explained: “informing people with sensitivity”.

Canon Hall added that he was a great fan of Exeter Speedway, had a great sense of community and was devoted to Sylvia and his family.

He said Ken wished to thank those who worked in the NHS and particularly in the Blackdown ward at Tiverton Hospital, who enabled him to return home before the end.

Donations may be given in memory of Ken, c/o C J Steer and Son, Funeral Directors, Homefield, Station Road, Bow EX17 6HU.