A service of thanksgiving is to be held this week in memory of a lynchpin of the Jumbulance Trust who has died aged 81.

Ronald Salvesen lived in Harpenden all his life and devoted recent years to the trust which was set up by his wife Kathryn to provide holidays and day trips for ill and disabled people who might otherwise not be able to travel.

In 2004 he joined the trust and took on the role of secretary, dealing with the day to day administration which was a role he was, by his own admission, unprepared for but offered him a chance to help people take advantage of the specially-adapted vehicles the charity has to offer.

Ronald grew up during the war as part of an extended family covering three generations. After leaving school he joined the army to complete National Service for two years.

The following three years were spent learning his profession as a chartered surveyor and he worked at the family firm Salvesen’s in Harpenden until he sold the business to Savills in 2004.

Married to Kathryn with four sons, he decided to join his wife in running the Jumblance Trust which she had set up in 2000. He said it had enabled him to meet “an astonishing variety of people from all walks of life and from all over the UK and Europe involved in voluntary work, especially those who have formed groups to care for those who are disabled or ill who might benefit from the very special vehicles the trust has to offer.”

Kathryn said this week: “My husband worked so hard at it and with his endeavours raised over £1 million.”

Away from the trust he was a Rotarian from the age of 29 and was keen on supporting youngsters, particularly talented musicians ans artists. Although he had been ill for the past six years, he walked his dog every day.

Kathryn, who has now stood down as chairman of the trust, said: “He liked to live life to the full. He didn’t sit down and moulder in the corner, he was always fully active.”

As well as his wife and sons, Ronald left eight grandchildren and the service of thanksgiving will be held at 2.30pm next Wednesday, April 23, at St Nicholas Church in Harpenden.