Retired businessman Peter Holden, a Harvard graduate who had lived in Marlborough since 1986 and was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease in 1994 has died suddenly at his home in Back Lane.

Mr Holden, 75, collapsed on Thursday September 9 after suffering an aneurysm. His funeral takes place on Monday, September 27, 11am, at St George’s Church at Preshute.

There will be family flowers only and donations are requested for the Parkinson’s Disease Society or Home-Start Kennet care of funeral director Dianne Mackinder, The Wagon yard, London Road, Marlborough.

Mr Holden was born in nottingham, the son of a master tailor, and attended grammar school before going to the London School of Economic, where he gained a first class degree in economics before going to harvard.

He was a talented athlete, a county hurdler and keen cyclist.

His first job was with Procter and Gamble in Canada and then in Rome where he met his wife sara, an American journalist working on a magazine there.

Their older son John was born in Rome and then the family moved to Manchester where their daughter Katie was born.

In 1968 they moved to London where Mr Holden worked for a number of major international companies and where their second son Greg was born, completing their family.

In 1968 Mr Holden was working for the Blue Circle Group and when it moved its HQ to Berkshire the family moved to Manton Corner in Marlborough, later moving into the town to live in Back Lane.

He took gradual retirement and became more and more involved in the community joining the Brandt Group, Kennet Valley Arts Trust and he became a magistrate in Swindon.

He was just finding his feet with his community involvement, said his wife, when Parkinson’s was diagnosed.

Mr Holden travelled to Gunjur in The Gambia with the Brandt Group in 1994 and later, through an MBG concert in Marlborough, became friendly with the young South African tenor Siphiwo Ntsgebe, who died suddenly earlier this year shortly before he was due to sing alongside Nelson Mandela at the World Cup.

Mr Holden leaves his widow, three children and four grandchildren, Louis, Daisy, Greer and James.