Tributes to talented engineer

THE family of a Macclesfield man who sadly died before he could return to his home town have paid tribute to him.

Rudolph Arthur Wragg was born at Ivy Dene, Ivy Lane, Macclesfield in 1935, and died in Chicago aged 82 on October 29.

His sister Ann said his dying wish was to return home to Macclesfield.

She said: “Rudolph died in Schaumburg, Chicago USA from Prostrate Cancer; which had spread to his bones and organs. He put up a very brave fight to this cruel disease. He dearly wanted to return to England, but became too weak to travel.”

She added: “Rudolph was a very kind, caring person always willing to help others, good natured and good tempered he managed to keep his sense of humour to the end. He always had amazing stories of his travels and people he had meet.”

Rudolph leaves his wife Alice and three children Felicia, Victoria and Conrad, who were all born in Macclesfield at their home On Rock, Palmerston Road, Macclesfield.

He was born on 24 September, 1935, at Ivy Dene, now Kendal Road.

His father, Arthur Wragg, was a Macclesfield solicitor and became the youngest coroner in the UK when he was appointed Coroner for West Cheshire, and his mother, Nannie Wragg, was the chief Evacuation Officer in Macclesfield during the Second World War. A talented engineer, Rudolph appeared in the Macclesfield Courier when he was aged just 11 for building a wireless radio, using his pocket money to buy spare parts from the Army & Navy ex military spare parts business on Stanley Street. Rudolph worked in a TV repair shop before volunteering to join Royal Air Force aged 17, serving for five years. He sailed on The Duke of Devonshire and served in Singapore and Hong Kong, where he met and married his wife Alice. They lived on Palmerston Road, Macclesfield until 1967 before travelling the world together and settling in Chicago.