A POLISH standard stood proudly in Holy Rood Church on Tuesday as the family and friends of a much loved great-grandather gathered to bid him a final farewell.

Jozef Noga, of Burford Avenue, Old Walcot, died on October 23 after a battle with ill-health. He was 93 years old.

The ceremony was conducted in the best traditions of his native Poland and paid tribute to his military service.

Speaking before his funeral, his family paid tribute and said: “Even until the last few weeks of his life he went into the garden every day without fail, watering his flowers and the big fig tree which produced lovely juicy figs every year.

“He loved the outdoors and always said that even though it was cold, fresh air was good for you.”

Jozef left Poland at the age of 17 and never saw his parents again. In 1946, after serving in the war, he was demobbed and went to live on the Polish ex-serviceman’s camp in Daglingworth, Gloucestershire.

From there he travelled around the country working and trying his hand at many different jobs.

In the spring of 1952, he decided to visit a good friend in Swindon and liked it so much he settled in the town.

He met his wife to be Maria, now aged 86, that summer and after a whirlwind romance they married at Holy Rood Church in August.

They bought a house and went on to have three children. Jozef continued to work hard to give his family a good life, first as a builder then moving on to work at Pressed Steel, run by British Leyland, in 1960.

Every year, Jozef and his wife Maria would take their children on holiday and he attended lots of Polish functions, dances and parties, as well as going to mass every Sunday at the Polish church. In 2000, Jozef and Maria also went to Poland on a holiday, 60 years after he left his homeland.

His daughter Anna said: “He was a very intelligent man, spoke five languages and was a member of the Polish Ex-Combatants’ Club.

“He retired over 30 years ago, he filled every day doing things whether it was going into town, visiting friends, he walked everywhere but mostly he loved his garden and the pleasure it gave all his family, especially his six grandchildren.

“He was always making things for them, he could turn his hand to anything and would go out of his way to help as many people as he could. Even in his later years he was always on the go, pottering around.

“He was really happy when he became a great-grandfather to two.”