Robert A Reeves

Bob.

It was with great sadness we heard of the passing of Bob Reeves on Friday 25^th July 2025 at the age of 86 years. Although Bob had not enjoyed good health for a while it still comes as a shock to us all.

We all know Bob through our bellringing. Bob joined the Oxford Diocesan Guild in 1954 after being taught to ring at Adderbury by H L Roper. Bob was an extremely good bell handler and was happy ringing any bell, my own memories are of Bob ringing any of the tenors in the branch with great ease.

In 1964 Bob married Diana whom he had met at Mollington when he was part of a small band of ringers who helped develop a local band there on the 5 bells. After their marriage they lived at Adderbury where Bob was tower captain. In the 1970s they moved to Mollington where Bob took over as tower captain.

They both enjoyed ringing holidays with The Raving Ringers.

In 1982 Mollington bells were rehung and augmented to 6. Bob did a lot of the work himself to reduce the costs, this included making the frame.

Bob and Diana had three children, Graham, Stuart and Maxine. Bob taught them all to ring.

On April 24^th 2004 Bob assembled a band of friends to ring a quarter peal at Banbury to mark his 50 years membership of the Guild. Later that day at the branch AGM as Guild Master I had the privilege of presenting him with his 50-year membership certificate. He was also made an honorary member of the Guild.

Bob very much enjoyed good ringing and if it was not up to standard he would soon say so. He was a keen peal ringer and rang a total of 213. Several of his peal were with the late Alan Pink from Oxford, most of these would have started at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon so they could still work half day Saturday morning. His first peal was in April 1956 at Sandford S Martin (Plain Bob Minor). He conducted 3 peals, his first Bob Major at Adderbury. He then went on to conduct peals at Rousham and Somerton. He rang peals on all numbers from Doubles to Cambridge Maximus. He went on to circle Banbury, Adderbury, Deddington and Mollington to peals. He rang 120 peals with Barry Davis.

Maxine told me the first thing he would do when the Ringing World was delivered was to look in it to see if I appeared, he would call it Clifton’s weekly. It was also a family joke that his name, Barry’s and mine appeared on all the peal boards in the branch! When anyone had been away he would ask where they had been and when you told him the answer would always be “I’ve rung there”.

I can only thank Bob for all the help and encouragement he gave me in my early years ringing, he was a great inspiration.  May he rest in peace. 

Graham Clifton