A retired vicar who served in five parishes across the Manchester and Blackburn dioceses - creating a new church in Flixton - has died, aged 89.

Fred Cooke, whose colourful church career also took him to the Middle East and the Far East, died peacefully at his home in Canterbury Gardens, Salford, said his wife of 64 years, Helen.

She said Fred and his late sister Jean were born in Prestwich to Ronald and Dorothy Cooke, and he went to Eccles Grammar School, where he became head boy.

He then did his national service in the RAF, becoming a flying officer and he learned to fly a Harvard plane while serving in Canada. He later became a regional chaplain for the Air Training Corps in the north west.

At 20, Fred went to Selwyn College, Cambridge, to study natural sciences and he completed his degree in just two years before he felt the calling to join the ministry.

He then spent a year studying theology and another year teaching at Salford Grammar School before returning to Cambridge for two years of theological training.

He was ordained as a deacon in 1961 and priest in 1962 and became a curate at St Michael’s Church in Flixton.

In 1964, he became curate in charge of St John’s Church, then a small daughter church in the parish.

Helen said he was determined to build a new church and, undeterred when told there was no money available, launched a major campaign to raise £50,000.

(Image: Family)“It was a real community outreach project,” said Helen, who was a ballet teacher.

“I did some dancing classes, we started the Flixton Show, which attracted 10,000 people, and a church football club was created.

“Fred contacted Bobby Charlton, who lived in Flixton, and he agreed to be the club’s president.

“The new church was consecrated on March 30, 1968, and we were there until 1974, when we moved to Ashton-under-Lyne, where Fred was rector of St Michael and All Angels Church.”

A major change in the couple’s life came in 1977, when they moved to Israel where, after a year learning Hebrew in Tel Aviv, Fred started teaching at the Anglican School in West Jerusalem and then became warden of Christ Church Hospice, a guest house for pilgrims in the old city.

“He was in overall charge of the church and hospice, while I took over the day-to-day running of the hospice,” Helen said.

In 1980, they returned to the UK, with Fred becoming vicar of Christ Church in Walmsley, a suburb of Bolton, and he also became Rural Dean.

“In 1985, we felt we wanted to work abroad again and Fred became a lecturer at a small theological college in Kuching, in Sarawak, part of Borneo, later taking over as principal. We absolutely loved it there," Helen said.

In 1990, the couple came back to the UK, with Fred leading a team ministry for five churches in Accrington for the next six years before then becoming vicar of St Saviour’s Church, Ringley and Holy Trinity Church, Prestolee.

He retired in 2001 but was licensed to continue officiating at numerous churches in Manchester.

In 2008, the couple moved to the Isle of Man, where Fred worked part time in the Andreas and Jurby parishes, and also worked as chaplain for three months at the island’s prison before they returned to their flat in Salford in 2013 and he fully retired.

Helen, who said that over the years they had organised pilgrimages to destinations including the Holy Land, Greece and Italy, said Fred had always been a "deeply committed man with a clear vision, who was also an excellent teacher" and his interests had included history, travel and football.

She added: “He had a great sense of humour, we made a good team and, during three different periods of our marriage, he was in fact my boss - and it worked beautifully.”

Fred’s funeral is at 1pm on October 23 at Eccles Parish Church. Details can be obtained from the Coop Funeral Service on 0161 7893083, or by emailing funeral.eccles@coop.co.uk.