A KEIGHLEY man who was heavily involved in community and sporting organisations in and around the town has died.

Geoffrey Kitchen, 90, of Goose Cote Lane, died at home on January 30 after a short illness.

He worked as a chartered accountant in the town for decades and had previously been a keen rugby player and golfer.

His son Ian said: "He lived and worked in Keighley all his life and because of the organisations he was in he knew a lot of people here.

"He was very much part of the local community, and that's what was important to him."

Mr Kitchen was born in 1927 and was a pupil at Keighley Boys' Grammar School then Giggleswick School.

He joined the army shortly after the end of the Second World War and served with the Royal Artillery in India, during that country's independence and Partition.

On returning to England he trained as a chartered accountant at his father's Keighley firm – Cryer & Kitchen – qualifying in 1953. He was an accountant until 1992, when he retired at the age of 65.

After he met the woman who would become his wife, Jean Clough, the pair married in December 1953 at Sutton Baptist Church.

Outside of work, Mr Kitchen was a member of Keighley Rugby Union Football Club, Haworth & District Round Table, the 40 Club and Keighley Golf Club.

He occupied a variety of posts on the committees of these groups, serving as treasurer, president, and chairman.

After he retired he joined the Friends of Airedale Hospital. He was a volunteer for the friends for 13 years, transporting children with disabilities in a minibus.

As well as his wife, Mr Kitchen leaves two children, Ian and Judith, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

His funeral service is at Christ Church in Oakworth, at 10.45am on Friday February 16, followed by a private cremation, then a gathering at Newsholme Manor.