A WELL-known former magistrate and charity champion has died at the age of 82.

Frank Whittaker was born and grew up in Blackburn and, after serving as a captain in the army as part of his national service, he began working as an engineer.

His family said that outside of the office he felt privileged to serve as a magistrate on the Blackburn Bench for nearly 30 years where he sought “to do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of this realm”.

He was the area’s general tax commissioner for 25 years, the last 10 years of which were as Chairman of The Lancashire Tax Advisory Committee.

He also served as Chairman of Christian Aid in Blackburn, as treasurer of The Methodist Overseas Missions and was actively involved in Blackburn Round Table and ‘41 Club’ for many years.

Away from all this his lifetime love of golf remained undiminished. As a single figure handicap golfer for over 30 years and as a member initially at Fleetwood, Blackburn, Pleasington and latterly Royal Lytham.

He served as captain of Blackburn Golf Club in 1966 and as president of The East Lancashire Golf Association from 1976 – 1977. He continued playing regularly in his retirement and played his last game only five weeks before he died.

He married Helen (nee Singleton) in 1952 and is survived by her, their three children, six grandchildren and his sister Mary. They moved to St Annes from Blackburn in 1986.

In November 2007 they moved from Lytham St Annes to Houghton in Cambridgeshire where they lived next door to their daughter and family, where Frank died peacefully at home after a short illness.

There will be a Service of Celebration for his life to be held at The Drive Methodist Church, 268 Clifton Drive South, Lytham St Annes, on Friday November 28.

Donations in aid of Leukaemia Research, can be made to ‘The Frank Whittaker Forget Me Not Fund’, c/o Leukaemia Research, 43 Great Ormond Street, London WC1N 3JJ.