The Riverside Indoor Bowls (RIBs) charity has paid tribute its chairman, Roy Enever, who recently passed away.Roy and his wife Lynda moved to Gainsborough in 2002 and never regretted it. Roy started to play bowls around 2009 and it became the love of his life. He was always competitive and loved the camaraderie and social aspects of outdoor and indoor bowls and made many friends. He was captain of the Marshalls A Team outdoor bowls club and enjoyed bowls so much that he became a trustee of Riverside Indoor Bowls. Believing it was wrong to close the indoor bowls, his aim was to put the wrongs to right.
Following a cancer operation in Hull, Roy contracted the COVID-19 virus and despite valiant effort and determination, he was unable to fight it and died peacefully in Scunthorpe Hospital on 27th May.
Iris and Ron Mallen, RIBs trustees, stated he was well known and well-loved in the bowling fraternity, both indoor and outdoor. He was passionate about returning indoor bowls to the district and worked tirelessly as the chairman / trustee of Riverside Indoor Bowls to see it happen.
Roy was an open book, a big man with a big heart. Linda Grocock, another trustee, said: “Whatever fundraising we did, Roy was always supportive – erecting marquees, transporting boxes for table top sales, chairing RIBs meetings, speaking with councillors and officers and checking out property and land for a bowls venue. He was very reliable and ‘hands on’ but most importantly he was a good friend to many and a big family man who will be missed tremendously.”
Roy was a great asset to Gainsborough bowls with his cheerful and very positive attitude and with his business acumen. This was tremendously important, with him taking on so many roles. He spent a lot of his time and energy, with his wife Lynda, aiming to provide Gainsborough with an indoor bowls facility and his dream will be continued.