Ron Turner, a member of the last Great Britain team to compete in the Olympics in 1956 and an inspirational player and administrator with the Penguin club, died on 12 October following a road accident. He was 80.

Penguin’s Stephen Baker, the former NWPL chairman, writes: Born in Notting Hill in the late 1920s, Ron lived most of his life in the Acton/Shepherd’s Bush area and worked as an engineer for Lucas.

Ron played in two Olympic Games – Helsinki in 1952 and Melbourne, 1956, as well as being a reserve for the last London Olympics in 1948. He was selected to play in the Rest of the World team in 1956 and was a member of the hugely successful Penguin sides that won the ASA knock-out competition in 1947, 1951 and 1952.

Ron was an exceptional forward player, known for his fitness and tough approach. His shot accuracy was unerring. He was also a model player and trained hard, often on his own at Acton or Lime Grove baths. His training was interrupted once, he related, when the Germans raided Acton and a bomb came through the skylight into the pool!

Well-known for his self-effacing approach, Ron was a guiding light for literally generations of Penguin and Middlesex water polo players. When the time came to hang up the costume, he coached, managed and administered water polo in Middlesex.

However, when he retired from playing at the top, he continued to swim and train.  Until his final years, Ron was a regular swimmer (even with a heart pacemaker) and Middlesex champion at backstroke with a number of Masters’ records. Twice Penguin President, he had also been President of the London League and Middlesex County. Ron is survived by wife Gill, his daughter Mandy and son Russell.

The 1952 and 1956 teams were captained by Cheltenham’s Jack Jones, who recalls: “Ron was a good, hard forward – a wing forward, as we called it then, working alongside our centre-forward, Terry Miller.

“In 1952, we were still at home in England when the Olympic opening ceremonies took place. We were flown out later – to save on costs, I imagine. Unfortunately, Great Britain boycotted the 1954 European Games in Vienna, but we were able to go to Melbourne two years later with a team comprising nine players – goalkeeper Arthur Grady, Peter Pass, Cliff Spooner, Gerry Worsall, Bobby Knights, Jack Ferguson, plus Ron, Terry and myself.

“To be frank, we were not good enough and didn’t win a game, but did our very best.”

Jack recalled a tour of Denmark, Sweden and Norway when Ron made one of his early England appearances alongside another newcomer – Phil Jones, Jack’s brother. “When we were not involved in internationals, there was always the huge rivalry of Cheltenham and Penguin club games as well as county matches between Gloucestershire and Middlesex. I will always remember Gloucestershire beating Middlesex in a final for the first time. It was played at Exeter. When we arrived there, the deep end goal was three inches too high and I made an official protest on behalf of the Gloucestershire team. We had to wait while another three inches of water had been pumped into the pool.”