Ray Kelly was a kind, quiet and decent man who had committed over 20 years to the Performing Arts faculty at the school. He played a vitally important role within the music department in particular, directing the big band, arranging music for various ensembles and supporting hundreds of individual students over the years as an instrumental teacher, music technician and an accompanist. In recent years, his exceptional musical talent was showcased in the school productions, particularly Les Miserables and West Side Story, events which could not have taken place without Ray’s skills and expertise. Outside of school, Ray was well known within the Lymm community and beyond for his wonderful piano playing and his passion for live performances; he was a quintessential jazz musician, always taking life in his stride and it is probably fair to say that Ray was at his happiest when playing as part of a jazz ensemble.