Colin Relton Greaves, born in 1923, died on March 7 at home, following a short illness. Colin worked as an auctioneer in Windermere right up to 2006, when he laid down his gavel aged 83.

Born in 1923 to Relton and Mary Greaves, of Oakthwaite, in Windermere, he was educated at Windermere Grammar School.

After school, he joined Mason and Freeman Estate Agents, auctioneers and valuers as an articled clerk in 1938.

During the Second World War, Colin trained as a navigator in the RAF and served in Burma and the Far East. After the war he served for many years as an officer in the Windermere Air Training Corps.

He returned to his work at Mason and Freeman, eventually becoming the senior partner and remaining in this role until the company was taken over by the Black Horse Group just prior to his retirement at 65.

Colin played football in goal for Troutbeck in his youth and later in life preferred fly fishing and trolling for char from a boat on Windermere or other lakes and tarns.

Interested in the needs of the local community, Colin was a founding secretary of the local Round Table, and was associated with a number of local charities. He was a former president of, and the longest serving member of, Windermere Rotary at his death and a Paul Harris Fellow for services to the movement. He was active in support of his wife, Kay, in her work for Cancer Research. He chaired the Returned Forces Fund until it closed, and was a member of the Royal British Legion, and always marked Remembrance Day by taking part at the Service of Remembrance at Bowness cenotaph and the service at St Martin's Church. Colin is survived by his wife of 57 years, Kay, three daughters and six grand-children.