MEL Lowry, who threw himself into the life of Marlborough after moving to the town in 1978, has died at the age of 88.
He had been a leading member of the former Civic Society, the Marlborough Rambling Club of U3A in both Swindon and Kennet and of the former traffic campaign group HALT (Help Against Lorry Traffic).
Although he had been devoted to promoting the interests of Marlborough for the past 30 years, he was a Devonian, born into a naval family at Plymouth.
Over the past three decades he immersed himself into activities in the town including becoming vice chairman of the Civic Society.
He developed a love for Wiltshire while based with the Army on Salisbury Plain during the Second World War.
Later he and his first wife, Beth, fell in love with Marlborough itself when they attended courses at the College Summer School.
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They moved to the town in 1978, although Mr Lowry continued to work in Staffordshire as the Post Office's motor transport school where he taught trainee engineers.
Mr Lowry was determined to preserve as many of the town's characteristics as possible through the Civic Society of which he became vice chairman.
He became a leading member of the ramblers group through which he met his second wife Maggie after his first wife died.
In a newspaper interview some years ago he said: "I have had a particularly full life and in many ways it has been unplanned."
He was concerned about the pressures of change on Marlborough and in his later years supported the energy conservation movement.
He was trained as a reporter on the Devon newspaper the Paignton News and, at the outbreak of the Second World War, registered as a conscientious objector and joined an ambulance unit working in London during the blitz.
As the war developed he changed his views, however, and became a tank driver in the 12th Battalion, Royal Tank Regiment.
After his demob he obtained a position with the post office engineering department maintaining PO vehicles and later as an instructor to apprentices.
He was diagnosed with cancer a year ago and died on April 2 at the Prospect Hospice.
The funeral took place at Kingsdown Crematorium on April 14. In lieu of flowers his family asked for donations to the Prospect Hospice care of funeral director Dianne Mackinder, Wagon Yard, London Road, Marlborough.
He is survived by his second wife, his niece Katharine and by a stepson and stepdaughter and five grandchildren.
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