Richard Mayo
1932 ~ 2004

The South West has lost a friend

It is with the greatest sadness that we have to report that Dick Mayo lost his fight against cancer on the 20th March 2004.

Dick devoted his life to motor sport and had been General Secretary and Treasurer of the ASWMC for over 27 years. His dedicated work for the ASWMC has made the Association what it is today, one of the best Regional Associations in the UK.
On a National level he was a member of the RAC Motor Sports Association Speed Committee from 1991 to 1997 and chaired the committee from 1994 and this led to his appointment as a Director of the RAC Motor Sports Association from 1994 to 1997. He has since then served on the MSA Regional Committee.
Dick was very active as a member of the Bristol Motor Club over the last 40 years and spent many years on the committee and in several official roles. He was a keen competitor in his local Sprints and one of the organising team of the Bristol 5 Clubs Wiscombe Hillclimb and Colerne Sprints.

He will be sorely missed by us all, but not forgotten.

Our thoughts are with Dick's wife Ann, his son Simon and daughter Claire.

The funeral took place on Friday March 26th. Donations going to The St Peter's Hospice.

Michael Southcombe paid tribute to Dick at his Memorial Service with the following words;

" Ann has asked me to say a few words about Dick, whom I met through the Association of South Western Motor Clubs, when he was elected our General Secretary and Treasurer in 1976 following in the footsteps of Barry Loxton and Cyril Angel and from that time on he set about ensuring that our Association created a wider appeal to all Clubs and their members. Of course he had help in the early days and many of you are here today: Tony Greenwood, Geoff Sharpe, Bob Jones, the current chairman, Nick Crocker, Nic Ayre, Shirley Gordon, Richard Culverhouse, Janet Rundle, Nikki Peskett and John Wood. I'm sorry if you feel I have left somebody out, but Dick set about organising and guiding us to ever improve things.

Dick himself was an electronics engineer and a computer systems programmer, so it was natural for him to be one of the first Association Secretaries to demand and work from a computer. It is easily said today, but in the infant days of these things, which have now almost taken over our lives, it was pioneering stuff and as a consequence we saw a quantum leap forward in the presentation of the Annual Dates Lists, News Sheets, Minutes and of course the Annual Year Book, one of the best produced by any of the Regional Associations today.

But Dick never lost his zest for detail, intermittent competitor and Clerk of the Course at many Hill Climbs and Sprints, he built up an enormous fund of knowledge of the rules and regulations surrounding these areas. Tyres, I remember was a great hobby horse of his.

This was duly recognised by the MSA where he served on the Speed Events Committee for 7 years and was Chairman for 4 and during those last 4 years he was also elected a Director of MSA, which he revelled in. At last he was able to put the position of the Club man firmly on the map and woe betide anybody who tried to contradict his very firm views on the way forward for Clubs, Licence Holders and Associations.

Respect for Dick was enormous and it is significant that Peter Cooper, Vice President of the FIA is here today representing the FIA. Bill Troughear has flown down from Carlisle this morning, Chairman of the Regional Committee and LARA, Vice Chairman of the Motor Sports Council and Director of MSA to represent MSA and Nicky Moffit has flown over from Ireland to represent the Regional Association.

I will remember Dick for being a really good friend during our time together in ASWMC, when I was his Chairman, always ready to put me in the picture and to never stand still. There was always a better way around the corner for Dick and he was going to find it.

Dick was an enormous supporter and never forgot his grass roots in the Bristol Motor Club serving in almost every capacity since 1962 including President, Chairman, Secretary, Competition Secretary, Treasurer and Magazine Editor, really a man of many talents and hard work.

It was typical of the man that the last time we met was at a Hill Climb at Longleat last Autumn when the MSA provided an Open Day for Committee Members. Although in pain he revelled is seeing old colleagues who always held him in the highest regard, but somehow when he said goodbye to me that afternoon, I had a feeling that it really was goodbye.

Our thoughts and sympathy must go out to Ann, forever at his side and his son Simon and daughter Claire of whom he was so immensely proud.

Dick hated being ill, but let us hope he is now at peace and has climbed that last hill and maybe even now is watching us.

We were all the better for knowing Dick and we have lost a good and faithful friend, he will be missed, but not forgotten. So we have come here today to say goodbye to Dick - may his God go with him."