John Reay

Your obituary of the artist John Reay (6 April) contained the following statement, writes Pamela Martindale: "His father Thomas Reay, a pet-supplies salesman, and mother, Rose, would not have supported him through college, always hoping to find him 'proper' jobs."

I am the "older sister" mentioned in the obituary but not named. It is absolutely untrue that my mother and father would not have supported my brother through college. My brother was greatly loved by my parents. Our father died in 1973 (he had served during the war in the Coldstream Guards) but our mother died only five weeks after John (on 7 March 2011), having been unable to cope with the grief of losing her son.

My mother fought hard for my brother's education, her efforts resulting in the exposure of flaws in the education board's system. My brother was then transferred to grammar school – certainly NOT the action of unsupported parenting.

He had spent the last 14 years with his partner Sue Key who, together with the rest of the family, are devastated by this untimely loss.