Former Chippenham mayor John Brian Ovens has died aged 73.

Mr Ovens, who lived in Barons Mead for 48 years, will be remembered for his passion for the town.

The grandfather-of-three, who was often seen around the town wearing various peaked caps, devoted his spare time to politics.

He served as a charter trustee, was a Tory member of Chippenham Town Council for eight years and was elected mayor in 1981.

In his latter years, Mr Ovens was a volunteer warden at the Chippenham Museum and Heritage Centre, and was a member of Wiltshire Family History Society.

His death, from a brain tumour diagnosed just before Christmas, has left his family shocked.

His wife Mary, 69, said: “He went in to hospital on January 24 and he died February 9, so it’s been traumatic for all of us.

“He was just a Chippenham man; he lived for the town because he had seen it grow and change from when he came here in 1941.

“He was like Mr Chippenham so to speak; he knew everything about the town.”

Mr Ovens was born in Greenwich, London, in 1937.

At the age of four, he came to Chippenham with his parents George and Amy and attended Westmead School and Chippenham Secondary Modern.

After leaving school, Mr Ovens took on a bricklaying apprenticeship with Hulbert Light and Company before joining the Royal Horse Guards as a cook for two years as part of his National Service.

He worked in construction until the age of 60 when he became a driver for St Nicholas’ Special School in Chippenham.

He and his wife married in 1962 at St Peters Church, Kington Langley.

The couple, who were due to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary next year, had two children; Helen, 44, who lives in Surrey, and Andrew, 43, who lives in Milan, Italy.

They also have three grandchildren Laura, 12, Matthew, nine, and Rebecca, eight.

Mr Ovens’ funeral will be held on Tuesday at St Peter’s Church, Lords Mead, at 12.15pm. Money raised in lieu of flowers will be donated to St Nicholas’ School.