Les Sproat R.I.P.

[lance]

if you are a member of the SEFTA region then you will almost certainly remeber Les, who sadly passed away early this morning. I can remember our first meeting way back in the mid '80s, at Newland Hall. For many years Les almost single handed, ran Springfield A.R.C. You will be sadly missed my friend, and our thoughts go out to his wife and family.

Lance.

[Kilty]

I last saw Les and Irene about 4 weeks ago.
They were always keen to tell me that they were off to Scotland in their caravan. Last time they managed to close the M8 in Edinburgh when the van got witten off.!!
This time they had just returned from a trip down south and had remembered to get SARC some target string. I went round to pay and collect to find out that Les had been to hospital with a thrombosis in each leg.
I got a call 2 weeks later to advise that Les was rather "poorly" and was on morphine to ease the pain. He had been diagnosed with stomache and liver cancer in an advanced state.
I was absolutely stunned.
Les was a typical Love me or Hate me type of guy( whose bark was worse than his bite) but immediately the row finished there was no accrimony. I had many a "row" with him but I was still welcomed into his home and He into mine. I think that we were mates!
The SEFTA air gunners have lost a true Friend to the sport and one who will be sorely missed.
When we first joined Springfield 5 years ago he sold me a rifle for Craig, who was 12 then, it was a Cometa 50 with some old scope on top.Well worth the £25 I paid for it.How I wish I had kept that rifle for Craig and "made" him shoot that!!! LOL!! Leaving Anschutz, Steyr, Zenith and Walthers for me to play with.:D
You will be missed old fella but rest assured we will keep an eye on Irene for you.

R.I.P

Barry and Craig

[stillair1]

R.I.P Les

My condolences to his wife Irene and family.

Neil

[Gareth W-B]

R.I.P Les

My condolences to his wife Irene and family.

Neil
Same from me. A gruff man who if you didn't know him, could appear overly curt, but that was just his manner after so many years in the military I suppose. He had a heart of gold, and as Lance has said, ran S.A.R.C. virtually single-handed for twenty plus years.

Les's shoes were metaphorically big ones for me to step into when I took over from him as the club secretary at S.A.R.C. back in 2006 (a baton since passed to Lance), and as Lance, Barry and Neil have said, he will be much missed.

Gareth W-B.

[rayowl]

It is very sad to loose good fellas like Les, my condolences to his family.

I only met Les once but found him to be a good bloke.

RIP

Tony

[Nemesis]

Very sorry to hear about Les. When SEFTA was formed, Les became Secretary and I was "volunteered" for Chairman by Chris Lowe. At first, I thought Les was a bit gruff (cantankerous even) but we all got along and business progressed very well under Les's stewardship. I served just 2 terms but can well remember Les being presented with a carriage clock when he "retired" from his position after several years service. A great shame that so many of the older ones are leaving us.

[Kilty]

Funeral Service will be Tuesday 12th May 2009 at South chapel of Chelmsford Crematorium. 14.45pm.
Donations to Farleigh Hospice as requested by Les's wife Irene, instead of flowers.

R.I.P

[Kilty]

Thanks to all that paid their last respects today.
regards
Barry

[Gareth W-B]

Thanks to all that paid their last respects today.
Yes, as Barry says, many thanks indeed to all who attended, even if we did all look like extras from Reservoir Dogs in our suits (old Les would’ve laughed ;) :) :)). Atvb: Gareth W-B.