Tributes after Ben loses cancer battle
Tributes have been paid to Shropshire estate agent Ben Winson, who has died from cancer and raised more than £40,000 money for Macmillan Cancer Support in his final months.
Mr Winson, aged 36, of Kingsland, near Leominster, was a keen rugby player and organised a charity match in November. During his career he worked in Bridgnorth, Shrewsbury and Ludlow for estate agents Lane Fox, later taken over by Strutt and Parker, and leaves wife Claire and three-year-old daughter, Harriet.
Mark Wiggin, a partner at Strutt and Parker, said: "I worked with Ben for nearly 10 years and can honestly say he was one of the nicest people one could ever have wished to work with. It was an honour to have been able to call him a friend.
"Over the years we have received many favourable testimonials to his professionalism. One of Ben's passions was rugby, he was an active member of Whitchurch Rugby Club.
"This support was clear when Ben organised a charity rugby match in November of last year – Ben raised a team against the Whitchurch XV, and on a cold, wet and miserable day more than 200 people turned up and more than £38,000 was raised for Macmillan. Although gravely ill, Ben managed to attend the whole match. The Ludlow office also had a fundraising day last September where nearly £5,000 was raised."
Hayley Davies, of the Ludlow office, said: "He was a first class estate agent whose outgoing personality, humour and dedication to the job made him a particular favourite with his clients."
She added: "Ben died peacefully in his sleep last Wednesday at St Michael's Hospice in Herefordshire."
However, she said, his daughter Harriet had her third birthday just weeks ago and Ben was there to see it.
"Ben was determined to be involved. They had a wonderful party for her in the hospice," she said.
His funeral will be held at St Michael's and All Angels Church in Kingsland on February 24. For details contact Mark at mark.wiggin@struttandparker.com or Alex at alexandra.willis@struttandparker.com
