Friendly, honest and reliable groundsman killed by ladder fall, inquest heard

Raymond Ferris had been working as a gardener and handyman at the home of Stephanie Hawkins in Hamstead Marshall, the hearing was told.
Giving evidence, Mrs Hawkins said: “We have a large country house with large gardens. After he retired seven or eight years ago, Ray came to work for me, keeping the garden in order and doing jobs around the house.”
She said that on the morning of October 7 last year she left her home looking for him to explain she was expecting visitors.
When she reached the herb garden, she said, she was horrified to see Mr Ferris, a 78-year-old former groundsman at St Gabriel’s School in Sandleford, lying on his back with an obvious head wound, his arms outstretched and feet still on the rungs of a ladder.
Police later recovered CCTV footage which showed Mr Ferris, who lived at Pond Close, Wash Common, taking the ladder toward the herb garden where, it is thought, he had been clearing gutters when he fell backwards.
Mrs Hawkins dialled 999 and tried in vain to resuscitate Mr Ferris, who was later pronounced dead at the scene.
Post mortem tests revealed a fractured skull which had caused a fatal brain haemorrhage, the inquest heard.
Mrs Hawkins said Mr Ferris had been a friendly, honest and reliable worker who was very fit for his age.
Deputy Berkshire coroner Emma Jones recorded a verdict of accidental death.
Mr Ferris is survived by his wife of 53 years, Wendy, aged 75; daughter Amanda, son Robert, daughter-in-law Lindsay and granddaughters Anya, Freya, Abby and Lily.
Mrs Ferris said she and her husband used to enjoy cruises in their retirement with friends Dawn and Ivan and added: “I’ve known Ray since I was nine years old. His brother was married to my friend’s sister. I used to tease him and he used to chase me.”
Mr Ferris apparently caught her, too – “just before my 17th birthday we started going out,” added Mrs Ferris.
“Once we were married he would bring me breakfast in bed every Sunday for all the years we were married. We lived in the same house for more than 40 years.”
His daughter, Amanda Ferris, said: “My father was evacuated during the war from Chiswick, in London. He was one of the first boys to go to Park House School, when it was just the house.
“He was a cross country runner and crack shot and won a lot of trophies for the army.”
Mr Ferris later became a forest ranger and then a bricklayer before taking the school groundsman’s job.
Miss Ferris added: “He was a very proud man, especially of his family. He was a generous man and would give you the top brick of the chimney. He touched a lot of peoples’ lives over the years. He was a loving husband to Wendy, a brilliant dad to Robert and Amanda, a great father-in-law to Robert’s wife Lindsay and my partner, Jeremy. He will be sorely missed and never forgotten.”