User:MichaelLaurenceRaper
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Laurence Raper (28th January 1927 to 24th January 2004. Born in Battersea South London, Michael Raper grew up in Caterham Surrey during the years of the Second World War. He would recount the action that took place over Kenley airfield, just a short distance from his house.
A keen aircraft spotter and member of the Air Cadets, it was his ambition to join the Fleet air arm, but a heart defect prevented this, and so he took a commission in the Royal Engineers. He had a tour of duty in Malaya after which he returned to the UK and was demobbed.
He then took up a career as a Quantity Surveyor, a profession he would see through until his retirement in 1992. After qualifying, he went with his wife Jean, and two children Annette and Jacqueline, to Rhodesia for 5 years. There his son Paul was born, and it was shortly after Paul's birth that the family made an epic journey across the Congo to Nigeria where they lived for almost a year. From Nigeria Jean and the children flew back to the UK, whilst Michael returned about six months later by ship.
On his return to England he joined a Quantity Surveyors firm in London and then later the firm Sergeant Stimpson and Partners as a partner. In 1972 he left the partnership to found his own company with Geoffrey Sergeant in Wickham Road, Beckenham Kent, Geoffrey Sergeant and Partners. At this time another dis-satisfied member of the Stimpson partnership, Gerald Potter, also wanted to leave so he joined too, and he formed the third partner in what was to become a very successful partnership over time.
After Geoffrey Sergeant’s retirement, Michael Raper and Gerald Potter renamed the practice to Potter, Raper and partners, and they subsequently outgrew their offices in Wickham Road, and so moved to Burnhill Road, offices they occupy to this day. Though Gerry was the younger of the two partners by about 5 years, he predeceased Michael by almost two years succumbing to motor neurone disease.
Michael Raper and his wife Jean were active members of the community in their home town of Oxted, Surrey. Michael was a member of Round Table and went on to become a member of the 41 club and later a Rotarian. After his retirement he was on the team that drove the local LINK bus that allowed elderly and disabled people in the town to get "out and about".
Michael was a highly talented people focused person. He had an immense talent for spotting an opportunity in a person abilities. He could partner up people of complementing abilities with great ease and to amazing effect. Michael is predeceased by his parents Doris and James Raper and is survived by his sister Kathleen.
Michael rests peacefully in the shadow of the North Downs that he loved, in the town where he lived for the 40 years of his career life, Oxted in Surrey.
