A well-known funeral director who provided guidance and support to 15,000 grieving local families over a 50-year career has died aged 78.

David Iain Leggett, of Thorne Leggett Funeral Directors, which has offices in Farnham and Bordon, died in December after a battle with cancer.

He was born in Bournemouth on March 14, 1944, and in 1947 moved with his parents, Leslie and Dorothy Leggett, to Farnham where his father was employed as a funeral manager by H. C. Patrick.

David attended Elmsleigh School in Farnham and Clark’s College in Guildford before joining his father at H. C. Patrick.

In 1991, he made the decision to set up his own business with support from the Thorne family, and Thorne-Leggett came into being.

He always thought of his work as more of a vocation and calling than just a job, and over his 50 years in the industry he guided and supported around 15,000 local families through what can be a very challenging time.

David met his future wife Valerie Dray in 1967 and they were married in 1969. They had two daughters, Anna and Lyn, and made their home in Lower Bourne.

In the 1980s, the family became involved with St Martin by the Green church and the wider parish of St Thomas-on-The Bourne.

David also had a passion for motorbike trials since his teenage years and the subject of many of his drawings, both passions he passed on to his granddaughters Charlotte and Poppy.

After retirement, David and Valerie travelled extensively and were active members of the United Wards Club of the City of London and The Royal Society of St George.

Valerie died in 2020, a sad and sudden loss to the family, and David will be missed by his family and those who knew him.