HIS many friends and family have been shocked and saddened due to the immensely fulfilling innings of a popular local sporting personality, Dean Pompey, suddenly having ended at the age of 45, writes Roger Ingham.

Dean grew up in Gargrave where he attended the village primary school before moving on to Aireville Secondary School.

He would eventually come to live in Skipton, and much of his working life was in joinery and plastering. Some fine works it should be added.

Amongst it all, many ‘passers-by’ cannot fail to have been impressed particularly with his talented contributions towards the alterations and refurbishment of the former British Legion building in Newmarket Street.

Forever keen on sport, Dean’s most notable passions were in supporting Leeds United and playing cricket for Skipton Church Institute where he became a valued member both on and off the field.

He contributed much to the club’s wellbeing in various essential roles.

Indeed, so proud was Dean of ‘CI’ that it was not an unusual sight to see him - bat in hand, and already clad in his cricketing whites - walking through town to Sandylands.

However, there are numerable other eminent altruistic roles amongst Dean’s overall make-up albeit far removed from any glitzy spotlight.

He would drive many miles out of his way to perform someone a favour. But, above all else, he having first been emotionally moved by the plight of less fortuitous amongst some city centre dwellers while attending matches at Elland Road, his care and concern for the humble and homeless exacerbated when more latterly working in London.

Dean’s humanitarian passions would thus boil over to a point of him spending indeterminable hours – and his hard-earned money – in shopping for, and feeding numerable people for whom this uneven invariable world has not rolled around quite so sweetly.

And, at the same time providing that special indigenous Dean Pompey social interaction for good measure.

Regrettably, Dean’s was only a short life, but a life well lived and one which touched many others for the better along the way.

A funeral service was held at St Andrew's Church, Gargrave, on April 29.

Donations made in Dean's memory are to be devided between CALM, a leading movement against men's suicide, and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

A collection has already raised more than £2,000.