Popular Les Dowse, a long serving and valued member of Devizes Rugby Club, has died at the age of 75 after a short illness.

Mr Dowse died in his sleep on Monday at the BUPA care home in Market Lavington.

Mr Dowse was well known in Devizes by many people because of his membership of the rugby club and of the Devizes Sports Club in London Road, where he became the first steward when the new clubhouse opened.

Mr Dowse was president of Devizes Rugby Club and his association with it went back 50 years, as a player and committee member. He supported all sections of the club and enjoyed socialising with people of all ages.

He was a veteran of many tours including Lions trips to South Africa and Australia and one of his highlights was watching Jonny Wilkinson win the World Cup for England against Australia in 2003.

Rod Brown, chairman of Devizes Rugby Club, said: “Les was popular with the players and everyone he came into contact with.

“He was a really personable guy and will be sadly missed by everyone who knew him.

“He knew everything about the club, nothing was too much trouble for him.

“He attended all the games, only five Saturdays ago he was on the coach going to Maidenhead and watched the game. It made him very proud that Devizes had been promoted last year and he was revelling in the fact that we were holding our own in the league.”

Mr Dowse, who lived in Queens Road and latterly The Croft, Devizes, also enjoyed cricket and played for Potterne. He was also a member of North Wilts Golf Club and played there, usually once a week.

He was born near Deal in Kent and grew up in Devizes, attending Devizes Grammar School.

His father Sidney Dowse was the town crier in Devizes and superintendent of the open air swimming pool at Rotherstone.

At the age of 17, Les joined the Royal Navy and worked in the supplies and secretariat branch for 24 years, achieving the rank of chief petty officer, caterer. He was awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 1978 for his services to catering in the Royal Navy.

His duties were the management, supervision and control of all aspects of catering within the Royal Navy on ships and in shore.

He served mainly on HMS Antrim and HMS Veralum, where he got permission for his son, Martin, who is now also a chief petty officer in the Royal Navy, to be christened on board.

After leaving the Royal Navy he worked as contracts manager, responsible for catering and cleaning for several companies including Grand Met in Saudi Arabia and HMS Royal Arthur at Corsham.

He also spent a few years as licensee of the Hare and Hounds pub in Devizes and the Raven Inn in Poulshot.

He was witty and musical – he loved to burst into song on rugby club trips and even when reading the menu when he was eating out – and had a wide circle of friends.

He adored his family, daughter Debs, son Martin, Martin’s wife, Sarah and their children, Imogen and Noah, and was a dear friend to Faye, his sister-in-law.

His funeral service will be at St John’s Church, Devizes, on Thursday, December 5, at 11am followed by a reception at Devizes Rugby Club at which all are welcome.