FORMER Pewsey Parish Council chairman Robert Charles Woodward has died at the age of 72.

Born in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, on January 7, 1943 he was the only child of Harold and Mary Woodward.

He attended Leamington College for Boys and had aspirations of becoming a fireman but was inspired by one of his teachers to join the RAF which he did in 1960.

During his service career he served as a navigator on Canberra and Phantom aircraft, stationed in Lincolnshire and Germany. His flying career was the part of his service that he was the most passionate about.

After his last flying tour he had a desk job with the RAF and notably hosted Her Royal Highness, The Queen Mother at RAF Wyton during an official visit in 1986.

After retiring from the RAF, he served as a civil servant retired officer at Ministry of Defence in London for a number of years before full retirement.

He also served as a magistrate in Huntingdon and latterly in Chippenham.

His last major job was serving on Pewsey Parish Council and for the last four years he was the chairman.

Mr Woodward cared deeply about the area and felt his true home was the Vale of Pewsey.

He was heavily involved in Pewsey community campus and also introduced Speedwatch to the village.

During his RAF career he lived in many places, including Burbage from the late 1970s until the early 1980s. He returned to Wiltshire ten years ago when he moved to Pewsey.

He met his wife, Sylvia, who was a nurse, at a dance at the nurse’s home in Worksop, in Nottinghamshire.

The couple married on 1964 and had two children David, who was born in 1965, and Peter who was born in 1972.

David married Julie and had two children, David and Rachel, and Peter is in a civil partnership with Michael.

Family was important to Mr Woodward and he was always interested and cared deeply for their happiness and success in life.

As a father he was respected and loved tremendously and was known as 'GrandBob' to his grandchildren.

Mr Woodward’s hobbies centred on his home life; family and dogs, Cassie, Abbey and Bracken. He also enjoyed playing golf with his wife.

His family describe him as a calm man, thoughtful and dignified. He was a man who gave a lot of himself; he was always willing to help others. He was the epitome of a gentleman.

Mr Woodward was diagnosed with cancer in autumn 2013 and died on March 18.

At his request his body has been donated to medical research, so in place of a funeral there was a service of thanksgiving yesterday at St John’s Church in Pewsey.

Donations can be made in his memory to The Great Western Hospital in Swindon to support the appeal for a new radiotherapy unit.