THE widow of former Wanborough parish councillor Bill Suter said that the summerhouse built in his memory was a fitting tribute to the lawn bowler.

Bill was chairman of Wanborough Bowls Club since they were set up in 1999, and the club and his widow, Hilda, arranged for a summerhouse to be built at the club in Hoopers Field in his memory.

The new summerhouse, which cost around £2,000, was opened with a special Charity Day which helped to raise more than £600 for Macmillan nurses.

Hilda, of Magdalen Road, said: “It was a wonderful day.

“He wasn’t just my husband, he was my friend. We had our arguments, of course, but he was always there for me.

“He would have loved it. And he’d have loved that we built the summerhouse in his memory.”

Bill, who also spent time as chairman of the parish council, lost his battle with lung cancer on December 4, 2013, at the age of 74, just two months after he was diagnosed with the disease.

He died just months before the couple expected to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary.

Hilda said: “The only time he ever complained of any pain was just before he died.

“He had been a smoker but we were told it was the kind of lung cancer that isn’t caused by smoking.

“He had lost his voice for a while in the summer and he had a cough but didn’t think anything of it. And then he went to the doctor and that’s when they found out what it was.

“He was so good, though. He was always one of those people who are so organised, so he did everything he could to make sure everything was in order. He even planned his own funeral.

“Prospect Hospice really were wonderful. They arranged for a bed to be put in the living room and even after he died they invited us to an evening of reflection.”

Bill became the first chairman of the bowls club after he was nominated by his fellow club members.

Hilda said: “He did it because there wasn’t anyone else and they asked him to.

“He got involved in all sorts of things like that, just because he was interested.

“He had been wanting for a long time to build a conservatory or some sort of clubhouse for the bowls club, but that was going to cost about £300,000.

“I think he would have liked that we have built the summerhouse instead.”

Hundreds of people attended the opening of the new summerhouse last month.

During the opening, speeches were made by the incumbent chairman of the bowls club, Mary Prybil, the chairman of the parish council Gary Sumner, and Hilda, before club members took part in the spider bowls challenge and then a mini-league played by six teams.

As part of the event, Hilda donated a new trophy, which was awarded to Deanne Davis, Martin Pribyl, Alex Rennie and Mike Smith.

For more about the club, visit www.wanboroughbowlsclub.org.uk