REGINALD Brian Stoner died, aged 82, on October 19 with his family at his side at the Royal United Hospital in Bath. 

He was born in Guildford on March 14, 1933, the son of Rose and Reginald, and had a brother, Johnny. 

He attended Northmead Boys Boarding School, where he later sent his son Geoff: there both were taught by the same ‘terrifying’ head teacher, according to his son. 

He went on to marry Joan Roke in at the Emmanuel Church in Stoughton Guildford on February 26, 1955, a marriage that lasted more than 50 years, and the couple had three children, Geoff, Lesley and Christine. 

During the 1950s, Mr Stoner volunteered to serve in the RAF as a radar operator, a position he held for three years, sering in Germanydriving a series of different vehicles.

While in the RAF he was nicknamed ‘two-pint’, a name his family affectionately used for the rest of his life.

Despite not having a driving licence in the UK, Mr Stoner was a driving instructor in Germany, courtesy of the British forces who allowed him to drive there.

He then worked for many years at the Vickers aircraft factory in Weybridge, where he worked on projects such as the British airliner, VC10 aircraft, and a prototype Concorde.

In his 30s Mr Stoner was a lover of golf, photography and especially snooker. He will be remembered for his hugely popular Trowbridge snooker club, Top Spot, which ran in the 1980s and 1990s.

At times 600 members crammed into the former library and such was its success, World Snooker Champions Dennis Taylor (1985) and John Spencer (1977) played there. 

“It was a wonderful time,” said his son Geoff. “I remember they did this competition called the Midnight Flyers where players played through the night until 6am. I am happy to say I won it one year.”

Mr Stoner sold the club in 1992 and settled down in Chard, Somerset, before moving back to Trowbridge in the late 1990s. 

“He was a very strong people person and I think he was a person people could always turn to,” said Geoff. “He always had a joke to tell but he always told me to ‘Live for today, tomorrow will bring you new challenges’.”

His people person skills were epitomised when he volunteered as a hospital car driver, driving people to appointments in Bath and Bristol, which he thoroughly enjoyed. 

His funeral will be held at the West Wiltshire Crematorium, Semington on Wednesday, November 4 at 2.30pm. Donations in his memory will go to Cancer Research UK.