Photo credit: Roger Ray
Born in Dover as Gladys Grinney on October 14, 1917, she attended Belgrave Road Infants and St Martin's Girls' schools. She also went to Belgrave Road Methodist Church and Sunday School.
A prize-winning pupil, she left school aged 14 to take a hairdressing apprenticeship. At 21 she started a ladies hairdressing salon in Cherry Tree Avenue, but the building was hit twice in two weeks by German long-range guns. So Gladys ran a business from her home visiting clients in shelters and their own homes. As the war went on Gladys joined the fire service full time.
In 1942 she married Frank Ray who was also in the fire service. After the war Frank opened his business, Ray Signs, in Fishmonger's Lane, Dover. When Frank died in 1964, Gladys went to work the next day to continue the business for three years, before selling it.
Becoming interested in post-war flower arranging, Gladys won many prizes at flower shows, becoming a judge and demonstrator for the Kent Federation of Horticultural Societies.
She took her Kent Area Flower Arrangement Society exams in judging and demonstrating and was asked to teach at Dover, Deal and Folkestone adult education centres and in the surrounding villages. Demonstrating and teaching became a complete way of life.
Learning the Latin names of every plant, Gladys delighted to her last days in giving lessons to her friends, family and visitors on the meaning of the Latin names.
Moving to River in 1986 with her parents she became part of the Methodist Church arranging church flowers for weddings until 2006 and the three main Christian festivals until 2013.
She moved to her bungalow in 1998 and became very interested in River Gardeners' Association, exhibiting in their shows and winning many prizes and cups for her flowers and pot plants. In 2012 she was made an honorary member.
For her 100th birthday last October she received a telegram from the Queen, but pride of place went to a signed photo from Alan Titchmarsh with whom she had become friends on two cruises, the last one in 2017 to Amsterdam and the bulb fields with her one of her grandsons, James.
She grew all her own vegetables, cooking from fresh every day, never using processed food.
She visited Japan twice and in 1967 was awarded her first certificate of Ikebana by the Japanese Sogetsu School followed by others. She achieved her teachers certificate and a second degree in Ikebana.
Her main interest was Dover Flower Club - she was also a founder member of the Folkestone club - and over the years she served as chairman, president and finally patron. She exhibited at Chelsea Flower Show and in other national competitions. She also arranged flowers for the Queen Mother’s visit to Dover Castle.
Gladys travelled widely, making flower arrangements on the QE2 cruise ship, including a visit to Bermuda for an International Design Symposium where she had tea with the Governor.
In January 2016 she gave an Ikebana demonstration at the flower club annual meeting and in May 2017 was awarded a medal for her many years of service by Kent Area of the National Association of Flower Arrangers Societies.
She had a son Roger, two grandsons and two great grandchildren.
Following a private committal service at Barham Crematorium, a memorial service is being held at River Methodist Church on Tuesday 5 June at 12.45pm and donations in her memory are being made to projects supported by the church.
