Horticultural stalwart dies

Peter Russell of Highdown Road on the Nevill Estate was 71. He was also a Parish Pump correspondent for the Sussex Express.

An exceptional gardener, he organised garden shows, being show secretary of the St Mary's Horticultural Society as well as serving as a respected judge at similar events in the surrounding villages.

Peter was peerless as a cultivator of prize dahlias and daffodils as well as high quality vegetables from his allotment.

He was born in Lancing in 1936 and showed promise as a junior footballer before a knee injury thwarted his career. He had been taken to hospital complaining of shortness of breath and died peacefully a few days later.

Active almost to the last, Peter had been mowing his lawn on the day that he was admitted to hospital.

His funeral was at St Anne's where the congregation paid tribute to a warm, generous man who was an outstanding communicator and a caring neighbour.

He contributed much to the town not only through helping other people with their gardens but helping with the children's sports days on Neville Green.

Peter worked as a print compositor of the traditional 'hot metal' kind who successfully made the transition to computerised technology and even designed flyers for the horticultural society on his PC. He had met his wife, Joan, who predeceased him in 1997, at Baxters Printers in 1959.

After leaving Baxters, Peter worked for Friday Ad in Lewes and Uckfield.

Widely travelled, Peter got a taste for unusual journeys after doing his National Service aged 18 in Malaya.

His destinations included Egypt and Croatia and he consistently struck up friendships while abroad.

Peter leaves two children, Richard and Wendy.