WARM tributes have been paid to a retired telecommunications engineer who played a full part in his rural community.

Michael Wolfenden died peacefully at his Underbarrow home, aged 90. His funeral was held on February 26 in the village’s All Saints’ church, one of many local places of worship where he played the organ.

For 11 years Mr Wolfenden was the Westmorland Gazette’s community news correspondent for Underbarrow. He also supplied the news from Skelsmergh for a time and wrote several Podium columns.

His widow, Ann, has received 98 cards paying tribute to her late husband. She told the Gazette he was a “great communicator” who loved to help plan and organise village events behind the scenes.

She hopes to re-read all the messages tomorrow (Friday, March 20) on what would have been his 91st birthday.

The couple married in 1988.

He had three children with his late first wife Connie - Caroline, David and Gavin.

Ann, Mr Wolfenden’s widow, is the mother of Phillip and Michael. The couple had 10 grandchildren.

Mr Wolfenden was born in 1929 to parents Tom and Amy in Irlam; an older brother to Barbara, Anne and James. Aged 13 he left Manchester Grammar School for a Royal Navy scholarship at Dartmouth. He wanted to serve on motor torpedo boats but was too late for World War Two.

He eventually specialised in the deployment and repair of subsea intercontinental communications cables for Cable & Wireless Marine.

Later he became shore-based and worked across the globe as a technician, manager and training instructor, travelling with Connie and their children.

He and Ann settled in Underbarrow in 2002. They became greatly involved in the community and volunteered with Age UK in Kendal for 10 years. Mr Wolfenden helped set up its Men in Sheds group, as well as Flaneur, a friendship group for retired college lecturers.

His copious talents included DIY, the church organ, the piano and sailing. He also loved to explore waterways in his steel canal boat.