A RETIRED Ipswich solicitor has been killed in a road accident in France while visiting his daughter.Douglas Rubery, 80, had been in France visiting his daughter Jane near Avignon when he was killed in a car accident at the weekend.

A RETIRED Ipswich solicitor has been killed in a road accident in France while visiting his daughter.

Douglas Rubery, 80, had been in France visiting his daughter Jane near Avignon when he was killed in a car accident at the weekend.

Mr Rubery was a partner at Prettys for 37 years, the last ten of those as a senior partner. He was well known among the Ipswich legal fraternity.

Clive Brynley-Jones, senior partner at Prettys, in Elm Street, said: "Douglas first came to Prettys in 1948 and before that was in the RAF.

"He was well known in the Ipswich area and became a consultant with Prettys in 1983 before retiring two years later.

"He lived at Broomheath, near Woodbridge, where he looked after his wife Connie who had suffered ill health for some time.

"Shortly before his death, Connie had been admitted for a short time to a nursing home in Framlingham. This had given Douglas a bit of time to go for a holiday to his daughter Jane's house in Paris."

Mr Brynley-Jones said Mr Rubery was killed as he was driving back to his daughters on Saturday.

"He was driving his Volvo and turned left off a major road. As he pulled across another car travelling fast hit him on the driver's side and he was killed instantly."

Mr Brynley-Jones said he last saw Mr Rubery at his 80th birthday party last August and paid tribute to a well-respected man.

"He was still very fit and healthy and had only driven down to France from Suffolk ten days earlier.

"He was an extremely able and likeable man and was well respected by the legal community across East Anglia.

"While at Prettys, he established a good reputation as an advocate and was well-known for his advocacy skills. He also established the litigation practice here during the 1960s and 1970s."