Family history lives on in the walls of the Pedley family homes, despite the recent death of Basil Pedley.

The funeral director from Cross Roads, who spent all his life in the Keighley area, died on April 28, at the age of 70. He died from cancer at the Manorlands hospice, Oxenhope.

Mr Pedley was born in 1931 in Haworth, in the house that his father Sidney built.

That same house is still in the family and Mr Pedley's daughter now lives there.

Mr Pedley went to primary and secondary school in Haworth and went on to become an electrician for a short time on leaving school.

He then decided to follow in the footsteps of his father, an established funeral director.

He took over the family business and stayed there for the rest of his working life.

After getting married in 1954, Mr Pedley and his wife, Barbara, moved to Cross Roads to a house that he built himself.

He continued to live in the house in Laburnum Grove.

He enjoyed looking after hens and ducks and had enjoyed breeding budgies as a young man.

Mr Pedley was also a member of the Masons.

His son, Mark, explained that even though Mr Pedley was diagnosed with cancer a year ago, for ten months it was impossible to tell because he remained active and never really retired.

Daughter Janet added how proud the family was of her father's dignity and the way he handled his illness.

Mr Pedley is survived by his two sons, Mark and Colin, and daughter Janet, six grandchildren, his brother, Brian, and his partner, Cynthia.