Carrall Prime (maiden name Dolloway) died on November 27 after a short illness.
She was born in Birmingham, the only daughter with five younger brothers. Her parents had two shops in Selly Oak and when Carrall was 15 she left school to help them in the shop, training as a florist.
After the shops were sold, she worked as a waitress at Birmingham New Street Station, soon becoming the manager of the Tourist Restaurant and later catering manager for Birmingham International at the NEC. She met Bill Prime when he was working in catering at New Street and they married in November 1980 and she moved to Rugby. They had a daughter and a son.
Carrall started working as a teaching assistant at Rokeby Primary School, helping with special needs and one to one sessions with disadvantaged children. Years later she would be stopped in the street by adults wanting to thank her for all her help.
Carrall pictured at a Bradby Club fundraising event in the early 2000s, with then club leader Martyn Ashford.
During this time she started volunteering at the Bradby Club and was always on her bike as she scurried from school to the Club.
She was very athletic and at school had been outstanding at many sports. She was a very hard working and popular person, gaining training in youth work and having an excellent relationship with members and staff.
Cooking was a favourite project and she would have a group of members all chopping food and creating a mess, only to find a little later a splendid meal to feed about 30 members would emerge at minimum cost. Favourites included curry in a cup and spaghetti bolognese in a cup. Then there were cakes and buns which she helped members to make. Carrall organised and cooked the Members Christmas Dinner for 60-70. She also undertook much of the catering for fundraising events at Bradby, keeping costs down.
An active member of the Fundraising Committee she often worked behind the bar, sold raffle tickets, organised jumble sales and devoted time to running the annual week long charity shop.
In the days when Bradby had international exchange students, she was involved with the Russian and German visits. The visitors lived at the Club for several days and Carrall was part of the host team. She went with the Club when they visited Germany and later was part of the team on the summer barge holidays with the Leader Rose Piercey. Apart from visits, Carrall was heavily involved in the NEETS project, the Oakfield project, the Harris School project and team building – and was always happy to help and work with members who had problems.
Apart from Bradby, she and Bill have the most beautiful garden which they open to groups and societies in the summer. They have won the middle-to-large sized Rugby Garden in Bloom for most of the last 10 years and are experts in fruit, flowers and vegetables.
Carrall was a person with no set qualifications, but with outstanding talent for hard work and an ability to help anyone in trouble. She had an ability to get things done either by quiet determination or by a direct approach. Carrall was an inspiration to all who met her with an ability to get on with anyone.
Coun Bill Lewis Said: “She always had a smile whenever I met her.”
Bradby Club centre manager John Robertson said: “She was always a ray of sunshine with a friendly positive attitude who will be massively missed.”
The consensus of all the tributes to Carrall is that she was an incredible inspirational person who will be sorely missed by all who knew her.
Her funeral will be at Rainsbrook Crematorium on Wednesday December 21 at 1pm.
Written by Alison Ross.
