FORMER Tavistock mayor John Warne, 70, a leading citizen and member of many organisations in the town, died on Sunday, after suffering with an aggressive form of cancer.

John was born in 1942 at Catterick Army Camp of a Postbridge father and Yorkshire mother. The young family moved to Tavistock while John was an infant and settled in the town, living at Greenlands.

He attended Tavistock Grammar School and was a keen sportsman, particularly in football, playing for Lamerton, Tavistock and trialling for Plymouth Argyle.

He cycled everywhere, often covering 100 miles and more on daily rides exploring the South West peninsula. By the time he owned a motorcycle or car, his weekends would take him further across the UK and up to the top of Scotland.

In 1963, John had direct entry into the Civil Service as a customs officer and was posted to the South East. He shortly moved to UK Immigration with mobile postings throughout the UK.

He married Pat in 1968 and had two children, Mark and Catherine.

John's first secondment to the Diplomatic Service was to Pakistan and India in the early 70s. Not content with a flight home, he and the family drove back overland — a journey that went through Afghanistan, Iran and back across Europe.

John went on to have postings in Africa and the Middle East — he was in Iran during the revolution and embassy sieges. Private travels took him to the Far East, the Americas and through the Sahara.

His final posting was covering West Africa, based in Nigeria — a country he loved and was drawn back to many times. In recent years he was living between Tavistock, Lagos and Seattle.

John viewed himself as a Tavistock boy, always returning between overseas trips to walk the moors and support conservation projects. In the 1990s he became involved in local life and legacy projects through chairmanship of the Civic Society, Tavistock Enhancement Group, served as a town councillor and mayor of Tavistock.

In 1994, John founded Crowndale Recreational Association with an aim of protecting the Crowndale Valley, providing sports fields and open space for the town.

Years of fundraising followed and, in recent years, the football pitches and new buildings have been completed and regular community use of the wider land has been established.

Tavistock Town councillor Ted Sherrell said: 'For almost 60 years I had the privilege of knowing John. He was a gentleman of integrity, conviction, tenacity and generosity of spirit. He had a strong love for Tavistock which manifested itself in decades of unstinting, often inspirational service.

'The Civic Society, the trading and business communities, the town council as an elected councillor, including a memorable year as mayor — all felt the benefits of his enthusiasm, leadership qualities and kind, warm, outgoing personality; and as for the first class sporting facilities now to be found in the Crowndale Valley, it is arguable that without his indefatigable, imaginative and often valiant leadership, they would not exist.

'An honourable man, a true friend of the people of Tavistock and West Devon, his passing will be mourned widely. He will live long in the memory.'

There will be a private family funeral.?Details of a thanksgiving service will follow.