This is the full version of the tribute from Greg read at Rod's funeral.

My wife Chris and I have known Rod for over 60 years since we were all at school together. We first met during rehearsals for a school play in which he played a doctor and I a judge. We formed a group of friends, including Ian Short (now in Australia), who were involved in the production of several plays, and I remember Rod’s involvement as an actor and a good organiser.

He loved cars, especially fast ones, such as his Mini Cooper which he drove quite fast and wearing leather driving gloves, which I had never seen anyone wear before. During one of our teenage jaunts we were stopped by a policeman who asked if we had seen a suspect. The car was packed with six or seven of us and I remember Rod answering “Sorry Officer, there are too many people in the car so we can’t see anything”. Strangely the officer said “Fine” and waved us on.

On another occasion we were messing about in one of our cars, as youths do, and at a very quiet roundabout I fell out of the front passenger door and bounced alcoholically across the wet road.

We used regularly to drive out to local pubs to sample the liqueurs; Rod especially liked Blue Curacao. We would then pile back to his parents’ house in Sheldon where his kind mother would provide food and put up with our noise.

In our early twenties Rod taught me to play squash at IMI Witton, where he then worked, something I shall always be grateful for as I played it for the next 35 years and it led to me playing other sport which I am sure I would never have done without his initiative.

While I was working with a Training Board I met Lindsay, and introduced her to Rod on a group walk which I organised with my wife. They were very soon a couple and have remained our close friends through the following decades. We met regularly in both our homes for enjoyable meals, those at Rod and Lindsay’s often ending with a single malt whisky, of which Rod had an impressive selection. On one occasion he organised a blind tasting contest, which to all our surprise was won by my wife, who is normally a non whisky drinker!

After we both retired Rod and I would meet up for days out, visiting various car museums and other places of interest, always with a good pub lunch. Rod was a quiet thoughtful person with a delightful sense of humour and was a good companion on such trips. His friendship is much missed.