Terry Ridyard died of mesothelioma at 63. His family want to hear from anyone who worked with him at Jeffrey Bros Printers in Maiden Street, Weymouth.
The family of Terry Ridyard, a Weymouth printer who died of mesothelioma in June, are asking anyone who worked alongside him at Jeffrey Bros Printers Ltd in Maiden Street to get in touch.
Terence Ridyard died on 16 June 2026, aged 63. He had been diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer that affects the lining of the lung. Thompsons Solicitors, which is representing his family, says the disease was caused by asbestos exposure, and that he regularly came into contact with asbestos early in his career.
The firm is particularly keen to hear from people who worked with him in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Ten years at Jeffrey Bros
Terry started in the printing trade as an apprentice in the 1970s. He spent the first decade of his working life at Jeffrey Bros, and by the early 1980s he was a Linotype Operator, running and maintaining the Linotype machines used in the printing process.
In 1983 he was awarded his Certificate in Printing from Southampton College of Higher Education. He went on to a long career in printing and publishing, living in Weymouth, Dorchester and Portland, before retiring in the 2010s.
A lifelong sailor
Outside work, the family say, he was a keen and accomplished sailor. He learned to sail with his family at Castle Cove Sailing Club in Sandsfoot from a young age, and later joined Weymouth Sailing Club. He was well known in the local sailing community for his skill on the water.
In 2024 he began to suffer shortness of breath and a cough. He was referred to Dorset County Hospital for tests, and the diagnosis of mesothelioma followed.
“The justice that he deserves”
Nicholas Seymour, of the Bristol asbestos team at Thompsons Solicitors, said: “Mesothelioma is a devastating disease that can take decades to develop, meaning many families are only faced with a diagnosis long after the original asbestos exposure took place.
“We are determined to help Terry’s family secure the justice that he deserves.
“We know Mr Ridyard regularly came into contact with asbestos during his day-to-day duties early in his career. We are now keen to hear from anyone who worked alongside him, particularly during the late 70s and early 80s, who can provide further insight into the conditions he experienced and the work he carried out.”
He added: “The latest Health and Safety Executive figures show that asbestos-related diseases continue to claim thousands of lives every year. Behind every one of those figures is a family still living with the consequences of workplace asbestos exposure many decades later.”
The Health and Safety Executive’s latest overview records 2,146 mesothelioma deaths in 2024 due to past asbestos exposure (checked 1 October 2026).
How to help
If you worked with Terry Ridyard at Jeffrey Bros Printers Ltd in Maiden Street, Weymouth, especially in the late 1970s or early 1980s, contact Nicholas Seymour at Thompsons Solicitors on 07974 354 276 or by email at NicholasSeymour@thompsons.law.
Anything you remember about the work, the machines or the conditions could help his family.
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