Tony Plessner, who died on September 11 aged 84, lived in Chipperfield for some 30 years. His friends here will remember him as a gentle, friendly man with wide-ranging talents and interests.

Born in Breslau, Germany (now Polish Wroclaw), Tony came to England in 1939 as a refugee from the Nazi regime. A scientist (with a doctorate in electrical engineering), he worked in research for the electrical company BICC; he was concerned, for instance, with the development of optical fibres, essential to modern telecommunications. At home, also, he would happily apply his scientific skills to practical problems. He shared interests in the arts and music with his family – he made beautiful pottery and learned to play the cello after his retirement.

Tony came to Little Wynch in Chipperfield in the early 1960’s with his first wife, Carla, and daughters Jane and Susan. Carla died in 1981. In 1993 Tony married Canadian-born Marylyn; with her children and stepchildren, his enlarged family now extended from Canada to Finland. In 1997 Tony and Marylyn moved to Aldeburgh; here they transformed a seemingly unpromising house and created a beautiful walled garden.

Tony stayed there after Marylyn died in 2000. He remained fit and energetic as ever. Always an avid traveller, he would drive long distances and fly overseas to visit family and friends. Last winter he took his usual skiing holiday. He played in a local amateur orchestra, enjoyed the music on offer at Aldeburgh, and would go to the opera in London. He loved entertaining his many visitors and – as he had done here as an indefatigable volunteer for Chipperfield Care – helped with voluntary work. He was a familiar sight in Aldeburgh, riding his bicycle to the shops. It was on such a trip that he was struck by an opening car door, and he died from head injuries.

Evelyn Cibula