THE PDC are saddened to hear that John Raby, the founder and head of JR Darts, passed away on Monday morning.
John, whose promotions company staged ranked and non-ranked tournaments around the UK, was involved with the PDC following its formation in 1993.
He has, more recently, battled bravely against Motor Neurone Disease and cancer but continued to support the PDC as a shareholder and supporter, as well as selling darts equipment at major PDC tournaments.
John was inducted into the PDC's Hall of Fame in 2007 to recognise his contribution to the organisation.
He passed away peacefully at his London home in the early hours of Monday morning.
PDC Chairman Barry Hearn said: "On behalf of the PDC I would like to send our condolences to John's family, and especially his wife Pauline.
"John's support of the PDC has been well documented and we were delighted to invite him into the PDC Hall of Fame in 2007.
"Without John Raby in the early days we might not have had a PDC and I know he was very proud of the progress we have made.
"He will be sadlly missed by all his friends in darts."
PDC Event Director Dick Allix paid the following tribute:
"I first met John back in the late 1980s when I needed a darts set and electronics system to go on the road for a long series of brewery shows with my then client Cliff Lazarenko.
"John was, from the outset, nice to deal with, reliable and most of all trustworthy, and we grew to be firm friends over the ensuing years.
"When the split in darts came in 1992/3, Tommy Cox and I had few friends outside the players and Marcus Robertson, but John soon came to our aid with wise counsel and tournaments for the players to play in, as they were banned from any others save for those we could promote ourselves.
"John came to our assistance there too, building the first sets and providing the electronics for our first TV shows.
"He believed first and foremost that the sport was about players and their fundamental right to play the game where and when they chose.
"He hated suppression and unfairness of any kind and he championed the rights of players, from the 'for fun' amateur to the top professional.
"It's true to say that without John, his hard work & his unsecured funding, the current success of PDC today would have been infinitely harder to achieve.
"He was a founding father of the PDC and a thoroughly nice bloke; his like you don't meet that much now.
"I'm very glad and grateful that I knew him and called him friend."
Edward Lowy, a PDC Director and Managing Director of Unicorn Products Ltd, added: "John's role in getting the fledgling PDC off the ground was whispered but pivotal.
"I first met him in 1993 and through him I learned a lot about the touring competitive darts scene and over time I learned a lot of his journey in and around darts.
"I was, and am, the better for it."
Tommy Cox, the PDC's Tournament Director, paid a further tribute to John, saying: "I am greatly saddened to hear of the death of my long time friend and colleague John Raby.
"When I first met John in the early 1990's he was involved with Hertfordshire County and was a loyal and proud member of the BDO.
"He had branched out on his own in promoting Holiday Camp Opens and was told that he could no longer accept entries from WDC members.
"In his own inimitable way John refused to accept any constraints on his business and was determined to carry on with his County obligations as well, in defiance of those who thought that they could bully him into doing their will.
"Of all of the people involved at the time on both sides of the argument, John's was always the voice of reason and the one determined to find a way forward.
"He alone was the bridge between the two factions and he kept dialogue going for a lot longer than would have been possible without his input.
"That an accord wasn't reached was certainly not for the want of trying on John's behalf and his reasoning around those early WDC meeting tables ensured that every avenue was explored before anything controversial was decided.
"His deep pockets in assisting the players' fight for employment rights is well documented and should never be underestimated because John was never a wealthy man.
"He was however, the most contented man I ever met and I used to marvel at and envy his attitude to life.
"My life is certainly the better for having known such a lovely man and my deepest condolences go to Pauline and the rest of John's family.
"I'll miss you mate but if ever a man can rest proudly, it's you John."
John's funeral will take place on Monday July 14 at 12.30pm at:
All Saints Church, Waltham Drive, Edgware, Middlesex, HA8 5TQ
Followed by a cremation at 2pm at:
Breakspear Crematorium East Chapel, Breakspear Road, Ruislip, Middlesex, HA4 7SJ
This will be followed by a reception at:
St Raphael's Church Hall, Morrison Road, Hayes, Middlesex, UB4 9JP
Family flowers only please, and donations are gratefully received for St Luke's Hospice via Pauline Raby at 143 Reynolds Drive, Edgware, Middlesex, HA8 5PX
Click here to read about John Raby's induction to the PDC Hall of Fame