Tributes have been paid to a long-serving former colleague of the Bucks Free Press who died last week.

Bill Norton, 91, worked for the Free Press for more than 30 years until 1986 at the former Gomm Road printing works in High Wycombe and sadly passed away after an illness on Saturday, October 22.

Mr Norton, an experienced type-setter, moved to Wycombe with his wife Margaret from Dartmouth, Devon, where he was rehoused after the war after his family home was bombed.

During the final year of his life, he was cared for at Woodland Park Care Centre in Great Missenden, where he died with his family by his side.

In a statement, his family said: “He will be remembered for his wicked sense of humour, generosity, kindness, and pure love for his family.

“We would like to thank everyone for the love and care given to him at Woodlands Park over the last year. A Magnificent Team. We are also especially grateful for the careful attention given to us and him during his final days.”

Mr Norton was born in Poplar, London in 1931. After being relocated to Dartmouth, he met Margaret and the couple married in Kingswear in 1958.

After working for his previous local paper The Dartmouth Chronicle, Mr Norton made his way to Bucks in 1958 with his wife for a role at the Free Press, where he worked alongside his brother Harry.

Earlier this year, Mr and Mrs Norton celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary and spoke to the Free Press about their marriage, during which they raised three daughters. 

Mrs Norton recounted the moment the future couple met: She said: “Bill worked at the local paper the Dartmouth Chronicle, after seeing a picture of me in the paper who was then Kingswear Carnival Queen and making the sash for me to wear decided to look me out, coming to a dance in the village hall in Kingswear.”

The couple put the recipe for their long and happy marriage down to “holding strong family values, having a shared sense of humour and a love of country music”.

Mr Norton is survived by his three daughters, Sharon, Carol and Sally, as well as his six grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

His funeral takes place Monday, November 7 at 1pm at the Milton Chapel, Amersham Crematorium.