Personal Tribute to Will Stevens by Peter and Bridget Jackman We enjoyed a long association with Will as fellow members of Norreys Church, Wokingham. These notes record our appreciation of the opportunities we had to share in church activities with him. Primarily, we greatly valued his presence as a friend. He took genuine interest in us and our family and was always pleased to talk about significant developments in his own family. In addition, his detailed knowledge of a wide range of subjects guaranteed a stimulating discussion. We were members of the over-fifties group that met at the church once a month. Will showed great interest in the talks that were given and more-often-than-not he revealed his thirst for knowledge by asking pertinent questions. Will joined the organising team and in our search for speakers on topical and relevant subjects for our meetings, he frequently contributed pertinent suggestions. Many of these arose from his various contacts in Ascot. He also accepted the responsibility of making some of the bookings, liaising with the chosen speaker and, on the day, introducing him or her to the attendees. Once a year the 50+ Group arranged a half-day outing to a place of general interest, and on these occasions Will recorded the event by what seemed to be a permanent attachment around his neck, his camera! Afterwards, he spent time collating the best pictures and producing a sequence that could be shown at a later date much to the amusement (and sometimes embarrassment) of the people involved. Another regular feature of the Group, was our special meeting in December. Will’s participation was noteworthy for two reasons. Firstly, because of the delicious, home-baked mince-pies he supplied - always a very welcome part of our pre-Christmas celebration. And secondly, because of his occasional performance by reading funny stories and telling jokes. We greatly appreciated his lovely sense of humour. Our closest personal involvement with Will was in our home group in Wokingham. Until his poor health prevented it, and even when just sitting was a painful experience, Will travelled week-by week in from Ascot to share with us in Bible Study and prayer. The study questions were issued in advance and Will was most diligent in preparing for the group discussion by seeking out answers beforehand. His contributions and questions were very perceptive and often gave a fresh, interesting slant to the discussion. His participation was wonderfully stimulating. As a group, we enjoyed an occasional outing and meal together. One of these is particularly prominent in our memory. We travelled in separate cars and agreed to meet for coffee in the Leonardslee car park. On our arrival Will opened the boot of his car and, to our delighted surprise, gave each of us one of his superb strawberry tarts – never tasted better! On several occasions, Will invited the group to his home where we were provided with excellent food and an opportunity to relax in his well-tended garden. Complete with apron, he was in his element serving a splendid salad and desert, most of which he had either grown himself or baked for the occasion. On one brilliantly warm and sunny day, he had not only set up chairs in the garden but also an awning to accommodate those wishing to be shielded from the blazing sun. This quality of service and attention to detail was typical of his keenness to do the very best he could on behalf of others. We count it a great privilege to have known Will, to have shared many occasions with him, and to have benefitted from his friendliness, his sense of fun, his love of gardening, the joy he gained from photography, the products of his excellent baking skills, his keen interest in a wide range of subjects and above all, his faith in God and his thirst for spiritual truth and its application to our daily lives.