Tributes have poured in for John Gibson of Rishton, who passed away on March 20 at the age of 65.

John was a loving son to the late Thomas and Kathleen Gibson, a dear brother to Philip and Peter and a brother-in-law to Carol and Sheila. He was a devoted uncle to Andrew, Michael, Stuart, Rachel, Fiona and Gemma, and a great-uncle to Teddy, Bobby, Rudy, Gigi, Kitty and Tommy.

John, or ‘Gibby’ as he was known to many, lived in Rishton all his life.

After leaving school, he worked in stock control at Crown Wallcoverings in Darwen for about 12 years, before moving to Shorrock Security Systems for a short while. In the mid Eighties he joined the family company, Tyson Lighting, where he worked in finance until his retirement.

One of John’s biggest passions in life was sport. A talented footballer, he played for the amateur team Cutwood Rangers throughout his twenties, and was a lifelong Blackburn Rovers supporter.

He was also a big cricket fan, and sat as Social Club Chairman of Rishton Cricket Club for 12 years in the 1980s and early 1990s. He became known for his legendary fundraising quizzes, and was instrumental in securing the signing of cricketer Viv Richards in 1987, which made headlines worldwide. The club released a statement that read: “John will be sorely missed by his family and friends and his contribution to the club will always be remembered.”

John was also a keen golfer and a member of Clitheroe Golf Club. He organised regular golf trips overseas, with the club teams playing out their own Ryder Cup.

Theatre was another big part of John’s life. He travelled regularly to London and overseas to see his favourite shows, and claimed to have watched Billy Elliot the Musical 284 times.

Known for his kind and generous nature, John was always happy to pick up loved ones from the airport and entertain them with stories on the drive home - often embellished for dramatic effect.

His brother Philip paid tribute to him, saying: “He was one of the kindest and most generous people I knew. He would do anything for anyone.”

John was laid to rest on April 1.