The packed life of David Taylor, who lived all his life within a three-mile radius, was celebrated in a service at Royal Wootton Bassett.

The father-of-four, who died at home on March 7 aged 83, was known as a pillar of the community.

At the service in St Bartholomew and All Saints Church, the oldest of his children, Guy, said that his father's death left a void – but it was “a life well lived” that had enriched the lives of so many.

Guy shared a few of the many tributes the family had received. One had noted David’s "warmth, his wit and his deep interest in everything and everyone around him" while others referred to his reputation as a wonderful raconteur: "We will miss his stories, always told with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye."

David was born in Grittenham in August 1938 and lived all his long and fruitful life within a three-mile radius.

He was 15 when he and his family – parents Albert and Dora and older brothers Geoffrey and Deryck – moved to a new home on Brinkworth Road. There was arable land to support a few cows and space for farm buildings to house pigs and chickens. When David left school the following year his first small business was raising chickens at his parents' home and selling eggs.

He also worked as an apprentice mechanic at a garage in Hilmarton which stoked his lifelong passion for vintage cars – and for maintaining the many and varied vehicles he owned over the years and those of family and friends. He was an "oily rag car enthusiast". Later in life, he acquired a replica 1920s Bugatti Type 35 and loved tinkering with it; locals would often see him taking it out for a quick spin, including as part of several Wootton Bassett carnival processions.

In the late 1950s, romance blossomed when David, who was completing national service at RAF Colerne but living at home, began giving Stella Hunt a lift from Wootton Bassett to Chippenham railway station. She was studying physiotherapy at Bath. The two were engaged in July 1959 and married on 29 August 1960, his 22nd birthday.

After national service, David got approval to build a new home and farm shed on a small plot near Coped Hall. Building on his teenage experience, he began a new chicken and egg production business, which later expanded to include pig breeding.

A move in 1975 took them down the road, next door to David’s mother and he began a new career in the building trade that he continued to retirement. An early project was building the family home, The Meadows.

He was an avid traveller and lifelong learner. He and Stella enjoyed memorable trips to see friends in Australia and in Norway – and on the final voyage of the QE2, ending in Dubai. And having family in the United States meant that this was a frequent holiday destination. David relished all these trips, loved meeting new people, and established lasting friendships along the way.

Another of the tributes read at David's funeral talked of his "smile that was for all in any kind of need" calling him "a pillar of the community".

He served on the Memorial Hall and Age Concern committees in Bassett and was an active member of the St Bartholomew’s Church congregation for over 40 years, including as a member of the parochial church council and church warden. Vicar Rev Canon Jane Curtis said: "I can speak for his church family in remembering David for his faithful, generous, creative, energetic, practical, ingenious, passionate service of God and God's church in this place."

He is survived by Stella, his wife of more than 60 years; their four children Guy, Jeremy, Jane and Nicholas, six grandchildren Luke, Joshua, Alexander, Niamh, Ella and Louis; and two great-grandchildren Junie and Wendy.

The family welcomed donations in David’s memory, divided equally to support Diocese of Salisbury Sudan Medical Link (for midwifery and other healthcare training in Sudan and South Sudan) and Prospect Hospice in Wroughton (providing compassionate care for those affected by a life-limiting illness).