He was a gentle man, a wise man and a modest man. He was not one to boast and even those who knew him well did not always know everything about him.

One of John's chief delights in life was dancing and he danced almost right up to the end. He was very helpful to new dancers but always guided them in a very quiet, discreet way. A little hint here and there, a useful rhyme to jog the memory or even a turn of the head was enough to put you on the right path.

John's legacy to the Windsor Branch is priceless. He was the Branch Archivist until 2005, undertaking the daunting task of reconstructing the Archives that were tragically lost, and very few people could have carried this out successfully. After all, John was one of the "founding fathers" who, with his wife June, helped to form the group in 1965. It was the Deys who took their teachers' certificates in 1981 so that the Windsor dance group could become an official Branch of the RSCDS.

John had a poet's soul which shone through in the lines of his verses. He was also a painter, although very few people knew that about him. He had the gift of expressing his feelings in words as well as in art form.

John was a steadfast and faithful husband, father, grandfather, teacher and trusted friend. His memory will live with us forever.

"O Flower of Scotland, when will we see your like again".

Isobel Hunter, September 2007

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