Steve Bartlett died on January 2 at Dorothy House Hospice in Winsley, aged 58, after battling stomach cancer.

Steve, known to everyone as Tank, was born and bred in Trowbridge and educated at Studley Green and Nelson Haden schools.

On leaving school in 1972, Steve and his best friend Roger Grieve passed their exams to go into the RAF, but were told to come back and start in December. They got jobs at Bowyers to fill the gap, and ended up staying on and never joining up.

Mr Bartlett left Bowyers in 1979 to work at Avon Rubber until 1982. He returned to Bowyers, working there for 24 years before it closed.

He went on to work at the Faccenda chicken factory in Sutton Benger, then at the Tulip factory, in Westerleigh and Dalehead Foods in Corsham, where he worked until his death. Throughout his working life he worked in night hygiene.

A golfer, he played darts for the Kings Arms, Unigate and Ushers, Trowbridge, and the Hop Pole in Limpley Stoke. He also played football for Bowyers’ A team, Unigate, and John Bull, Trowbridge, and the Farmers Hotel in Warminster.

He first met his wife Jayne when he helped his father with a milk round, then again when she was 13 working in Bowyers canteen in her summer holidays. They started going out when she started working at Bowyers in 1976, and married in 1979 at Trowbridge register office. Their daughter Kerry was born that September, second daughter Leiha arriving in 1988. He also leaves three grandchildren, Emily, Riley and Bradley.

His two daughters, who are both due to marry in February, held a blessing service on New Year’s Day at Dorothy House. His wedding ring will be melted down into two separate rings for them.

His family said: “He was everybody’s friend and would do anything for anyone, you only had to ask. He was an angel. We would like to thank Dorothy House for their high levels of care.”

His funeral will be at St John’s Church in Upper Studley, Trowbridge, tomorrow (Friday) at 1pm. Family flowers only, with donations welcome for Dorothy House.